116 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
United States and Sweden, recognition of trade unions in other countries has been left to voluntary effort. I hope this will not be a controversial measure. In any case I do not wish to say more than what I have said in view of the fact that I prefer to submit the Bill to public scrutiny before I undertake to make myself responsible for any of the provisions contained in the Bill. Sir, I move :
Mr. President (The Honourable Sir AbdurRahim): Motion moved :
“ That the Bill further to amend the Indian Trade Unions Act,
1926, be circulated for the purpose of eliciting opinion thereon. ”
- Mr. P.J. Griffiths (Assam : European): Mr. President, the motion at present before the House is that this Bill be circulated for eliciting opinion thereon………….Let me remind my Honourable Friend too that trade unions have many enemies.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Employers are one of them.
@ The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Sir, the Bill, which I have the honour to move for circulation has given rise to controversy. This is, of course, not unexpected. As I said in my opening observations, the Bill is undoubtedly a controversial measure but I also stated in the course of my opening observations that I do not propose to enter into the controversy today and to reply to the various points that have been made. I do not do so in any spirit or discourtesy to Honourable Members who have taken part in this debate and presented their point of view. I assure them that I will bear their points in mind and consider their validity on the occasion when such occasion will arise.
If I rise at this stage, as I said, it is not to reply to the various points that have been made but I do feel that I am bound to meet certain points of criticism which were made by my Honourable friend, Mr. Griffiths. There is one point which he made which, if he will permit me to say so, I think was very unfair. He said that I have brought in a measure which was vague in some way and which contained, if I may use the phrase, empty clauses. His criticism was that I was not justified and that it was unfair on my part to ask the House to consider a Bill which contained such vague and empty clauses. I do not accept that criticism and I do say that it was entirely misconceived and unfounded. I do not
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. IV (1943), 13th November 1943, p.
- @ Ibid., p. 276.