L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 799
the British Commonwealth of Nations, are women employed underground in spite of the stress of war, will the Honourable Member say why he has been a party to this humiliating practice ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : On account of the shortage of coal.
Mr. N. M. Joshi : The Honourable Member stated that a woman is entitled to the same wage as a man and he said that a woman on an average gets twelve annas. I do not agree with your figure. In the coal-fields to the best of my knowledge a man and woman are paid jointly for joint production. How does the Government of India make sure what portion of the joint earning the man gives to the woman ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is easy to arrive at the figure by distributing the gang wages.
Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I again ask the Honourable Member how does he make sure that the woman gets the same wages as the man ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I said that a woman is entitled to the same wages as a man for the same work.
Mr. N. M. Joshi : How docs he make sure that the man gives to the woman half the wage and does not take more for himself and give loss to the woman.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I do not know but I feel that the man and woman who work together arc husband and wife and I wonder whether they would be very much interested in exact mathematical distribution of their joint wages.
Mr. N. M. Joshi : In view of the fact that the Honourable Member stated that he did not know, may I ask the Government of India to withdraw the statement which they have made that a woman is entitled to equal wage with the man. Is not the Honourable Member proclaiming that the woman is getting equal wage with the man ? Unless he can make sure how the woman can get equal wage with the man, he is not entitled to make a statement which in my judgment, is misleading.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is only a quibble on the part of the Honourable Member.
Shrimati K. Radha Bai Subbarayan : May I ask whether the Government according to the assurance given by them during the last Session have reviewed the position and satisfied themselves that it is