78 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
work put up by the Honourable Dr. Ambedkar and his Drafting Committee after months of laborious work which may definitely be qualified as the work of experts, work which is comparative, selective and efficient in character right from the beginning to the end………..
The Honourable Shri K. Santhanam: ……..The Drafting Committee have done a good job of work, but at the same time I am afraid they cannot escape two valid criticisms. The Committee, I think illegitimately, converted themselves into a Constitution Committee. They have taken upon them selves the responsibility of changing some vital provisions adopted in the open House by this Assembly..............
† Shri R. K. Sidhwa (C.P. & Berar: General): Mr. Vice-President, Sir, as an able and competent lawyer, the Honourable Dr. Ambedkar has presented the Draft Constitution in this House in very lucid terms and he has impressed the outside world and also some of the Honourable Members here, but that is not the criterion for judging the constitution. This is a Constitution prepared for democracy in this country and Dr. Ambedkar has negatived the very idea of democracy by ignoring the local authorities and villages……
‡ Shri Jainarain Vyas (Jodhpur) : *Mr. Vice-President, Sir, Dr. Ambedkar and his colleagues as also the typist and copists have to be thanked for the labour expended in preparing the Draft Constitution that is before us. This is a very big Draft and many things have been included in it……
Shri B. A. Mandloi (C. P. and Berar: General): Mr. Vice-President,
Sir, Dr. Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee, in a very lucid speech explained the salient points of the Draft Constitution. In answer to the questions which are raised, namely, what is the form of the Government and what is the constitution of the country, he has pointed out that it is a federal type of Government with a strong Centre and a parliamentary system of Government with a single judiciary and uniformity in fundamental laws. He has also said that the emphasis has been placed on responsibility rather than on stability. It is strong enough in peace-time as well as in war-time. He has answered in his speech the various criticisms levelled against the Draft Constitution and
*CAD, Vol. VII, 6th November 1948. p. 262.
† Ibid.. p. 265.
‡ Ibid p. 269.