DRAFT CONSTITUTION 1193
This demonstrates clearly the necessity of making some provision assuring that such injustice will not continue any more, and there would be speedy action to end it. I request the Government of India and the provincial Governments to apply article 338 for our welfare and recruit Harijans in the services according to their population....
*Shri Ram Chandra Gupta (United Provinces : General) : Sir, I am very thankful to you for giving me this opportunity of speaking for a few minutes on this motion. The present Constitution will go down, in the annals of this nation, as a great “CHARTER OF FREEDOM”, which our people have today achieved after a long and ceaseless struggle and much suffering. We have therefore every reason to be proud of it; and I have no manner of doubt posterity will continue to remember January
26th, 1950 as the sacred day when real freedom dawned in this country.
This Constitution which consists of nearly 400 clauses is the result of
3 year long hard labour, anxious thought, and much compromise. The country will no doubt feel grateful to all those who have had a hand in the shaping of this Constitution. Our thanks are due to all members of the Drafting Committee—particularly to Dr. Ambedkar, and to you, Sir, Both of you have demonstrated how accommodating you can be to others.
The Constitution, as it stands today, is the result of heated discussion and long debates carried over thousands of amendments moved by the honourable Members of this House. In fact there is not a single word in the Constitution which has not received the notice of some Member or the other. I can go to the length of stating that even punctuations, viz., comma, semi colon, and full stops, have received due notice from our vigilant friend, Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad. It is true that unanimity could not be achieved on every matter, but there is no doubt that all clauses passed by the House always had the support of a very large majority. Almost all the important controversial questions were postponed many times for fuller consideration and the achievement of unanimity, if possible.
In one word, I can say that the present Constitution is the result of many happy compromises effected as a consequence of the spirit of ‘give and take’ so liberally manifested by the Members of this House. In such circumstances you cannot expect that all the Members will have the same degree of satisfaction on all matters incorporated in the Constitution. This really explains the mixed reaction accorded to the Constitution by the various speakers. While I myself do not agree with every thing incorporated
*CAD, Official Report, Vol. XI, 24th November 1949, pp. 919-920.