486 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Shri H. V. Kamath : Am I to understand that Dr. Ambedkar is personally in favour of this amendments ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Yes ; I think there is nothing in this amendment except the fact that this was met by other ways.
Now, Sir, the other question is this : is it necessary to have these disqualifications laid down specifically and expressly in the Constitution ? It seems to me that there is no necessity, for two reasons. One is that no person who has been shamed in this manner by a public trial and declared to be a public enemy would ever have the courage to offer himself as a candidate for any particular post. Therefore, that possibility, I think, is excluded by this consideration. The second is this : whether the people of this country would be so wanting in sense of public duty and public service to elect any such person, if he, as a matter of fact, stood. I think it would be too shameful an imputation to the people of this country to say that it is necessary to make an express provision of this sort in the Constitution because the people of this country are likely to elect persons who are criminals, who have committed breach of trust and who have failed the public in the performance of their public duties. I think these weaknesses are inherent in all societies and no good purpose will be served by advertising them by putting them in the Constitution. I therefore think that the amendments, however laudable they are, are not necessary to be embodied in the Constitution.
Mr. Vice-President: The amendments which have been moved will now be put to vote.
[Following amendments were accepted by Dr. Ambedkar and adopted by the House.]
- Mr. Vice-President : I now put to vote amendment No. 1160 as modified by the amendment of Mr. T. T. Krishnamachari. The question is :
“That is sub-clause (a) of clause (2) of article 50. for the words ‘thirty members’. the words ‘one-fourth of the total number of members’ be substituted.”
The amendment was adopted.
Mr. Vice-President : The question is :
“That in sub-clause (a) of clause (2) of article 50. for the words ‘after a notice’ the words ‘after at least 14 days notice’ be substituted.”
The amendment was adopted.
- CAD, Vol. VIII, 28th December 1948, p. 1083.