1130 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Maulana Hasrat Mohani : Then why don’t you accept it ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I propose to show now, by a detailed examination; that my contention is true.
Sir, this amendment, if one were to analyse it, falls into three distinct parts. There is one part which is declaratory. The second part is descriptive. The third part is objective and obligatory, if I may say so. Now, the declaratory part consists of the following phrase : ‘We the people of India, in our Constituent Assembly, this day, this month…….. do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.’ Those Members of the House who are worried as to whether this Preamble does or does not state that this Constitution and the power and authority and sovereignty to make this Constitution vest in the people should separate the other parts of the amendment from the part which I have read out, namely the opening words ‘We the people of India in our Constituent Assembly, this day, do hereby adopt enact and give to ourselves this constitution’ Reading it in that fashion…………*
Shri Mahavir Tyagi : Where do the people come in ? It is the Constituent Assembly Members that come in.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is a different matter. I am for the moment discussing this narrow point: Does this Constitution say or does this Constitution not say that the Constitution is ordained, adopted and enacted by the people. I think anybody who reads its plain language, not dissociating it from the other parts, namely the descriptive and the objective cannot have any doubt that that is what the Preamble means.
Now my Friend Mr. Tyagi said that this Constitution is being passed by a body of people who have been elected on a narrow franchise. It is quite true that it is not a Constituent Assembly in the sense that it includes every adult male and female in this country. But if my Friend Mr. Tyagi wants that this Constitution should not become operative unless it has been referred to the people in the form of a referendum that is quite a different question which has nothing to do with the point which we are debating whether this Constitution should have validity if it was passed by this Constituent Assembly or whether it will have validity only when it is passed on a referendum. That is quite a different matter altogether. It has nothing to do with the point under debate.
*Dots indicate interruption.