z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-10.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 778
778 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
12,028. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: That is a difference. Now, what I want to point out to you, Sir Samuel Hoare, is this : Surely if discussion is to be prevented because it is going to attack the special responsibility of the Viceroy, you will bear in mind that this previous sanction rule certainly cannot operate to prevent discussion, either in the Press or on the public platform outside the Legislature, and cannot even prevent a public demonstration on an issue that would legitimately be brought under a previous sanction rule, so the only thing really that would happen under this is that while the public and the Press may be free to agitate and to demonstrate on a matter covered by the previous sanction rule, the only body that would be muzzled would be the Legislature ?
Sir Samuel Hoare : That is one way of putting it; it is Dr. Ambedkar’s way of putting it.
12,029. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Is it not a fair way of putting it ? Surely the Viceroy’s previous sanction powers are not going to be so widely extended in their operation as to cover the prevention of any discussion of a matter subject to previous sanction, either in the Press or in public meetings, or anywhere else ?
Sir Samuel Hoare: I think these certainly will be discussion of that kind. None the less, I do think there is a difference between discussion in the Legislature, and the comparatively irresponsible discussion outside. Secondly, this sanction of the previous consent has been in operation for some time and it was accepted generally as a Part of the New Constitution at each of the Round Table Conferences. Thirdly, if Dr. Ambedkar will look at the categories set out in paragraph 119 he will see that for each of them there is a considerable demand for some kind of special precautions. For instance, if he will take the question of religious rights and usages ; there he must have noticed the very strong feeling that certain sections of the orthodox Hindus have upon the subject. He does not agree with them ; he thinks they are all wrong. At the same time, they do hold these views very strongly, and they would like questions of that kind excluded from the Indian Legislature altogether. Now, we have attempted to adopt a midway attitude between the two points of view and so on. With each of those categories I could make a similar defence, that there is a considerable body of opinion asking for some special precautions in these directions.
12,030. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: What I was trying to drive at was this that while a member of the Legislative Council and a member of the Legislative Assembly may be free to discuss these matters outside in public, they will not be free to discuss them when they come inside the Legislative House. That is the only difference you are making by this previous sanction rule ?
Sir Samuel Hoare: They can have resolutions, but that is substantially the case.
12,031. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Now I just want to make one suggestion with regard to the point raised by Mr. Jayakar regarding the use of the