162 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Taking the first part of the Resolution, my Honourable friend, Sir Yamin Khan, said that the Government had already allotted or reserved a particular House for an Honourable Member who happens to be a Muslim. I believe he referred to this in order to support his plea that the principle had already been accepted. Sir, I would like to state categorically that that is a mistake. No house is reserved for any Honourable Member. It happens to be an accident that the house to which he referred has been occupied by a Muslim Member. But I have not the slightest doubt that should there happen to be a vacancy in that house, which I hope not, it will be open to any Honourable Member next senior to him to claim that house irrespective of the question whether the Honourable Member is a Muslim or a non-Muslim.
Sir Muhammad Yamin Khan : But a purdah wall has also been built.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is another matter. I am dealing with principles.
Therefore, the Government of India has not accepted the principle. I am going to point out to my Honourable friend that so far as the present times are concerned, it is quite impossible for the Government to accept any such rigid principle.
Sir, what does the acceptance of the principle mean ? It means two things. It means that the Government should undertake to serve a notice on non-Muslims who are occupying the sort of bungalows which are the subject-matter of this Resolution and to have them vacated. That would be the consequence if the Government accepted the Resolution.
The second consequence of the acceptance of the Resolution would be this : supposing there was a vacancy in such a bungalow, and that an officer to whom such a bungalow could be allotted happened to be a non-Muslim who was called by Government from outside to stay in Delhi, and whose presence was absolutely necessary ; under the circumstances Government should not allot the accommodation to him. Sir, my humble submission is that that is an impossible condition; and