74 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
and hard and have produced a Draft Constitution which we are now going to discuss.
Sir, my first point is this : that although Dr. Ambedkar has delivered a very brilliant, illuminating, bold and lucid speech completely analysing the Draft Constitution………
.... I would have taken some more time to X-ray the speech of Dr. Ambedkar. I bow down to his knowledge. I bow down to his clarity of speech. I bow down to his courage. But I am surprised to see that so learned a man so great a son of India knows so little of India. He is doubtless the very soul of the Draft Constitution and he has given in his Draft something which is absolutely un-Indian. By un-Indian I mean that however much he may repudiate, it is absolutely a slavish imitation of—nay much more—a slavish surrender to the West.
- Kazi Syed Karimuddin (C.P. and Berar : Muslim) : Mr. President, Sir. I congratulate Dr. Ambedkar for the introduction of the motion for the consideration of the Draft Constitution of India. The speech that he delivered was a remarkable one and I am sure that his name is bound to go down to posterity as a great constitution-maker……..
† Prof. K. T. Shah (Bihar: General) : Sir. I have to join in the chorus of congratulations that have been offered to the Drafting Committee and its Chairman for the very elaborate Draft Constitution that they have placed before this House. I have particularly to felicitate the Law Minister for the very lucid way in which he has put forward the salient features of the Constitution for our consideration, and given us thoughtprovoking ideas, with reasons why certain items have been included and why certain others have been put in the manner they have been……..
‡Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra (West Bengal : General) : Sir. I would be failing in my duly if I do not at the very outset congratulate my Honourable friend and old colleague. Dr. Ambedkar for the magnificent performance he made yesterday. The House appreciates the stupendous amount of time and energy he has spent in giving the constitutional proposals a definite shape…….
*CAD, Vol. VII, 5th November 1948. p. 242.
† Ibid., p. 244.
‡ Ibid. p. 246.