498 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
provision for tilling casual vacancies. There is no necessity for making any provision for casual vacancies because under article 75, sub-clause (1) there is always the Deputy Chairman who is there to step in whenever there is any casual vacancy. Consequently such an amendment is unnecessary.
Sir, I hope that with this explanation, the House will accept the article as it stands.
Mr. Vice-President : I may now put the amendments, one by one to vote.
[All the amendments were negatived. Article 56 was adopted and added to the Constitution.]
ARTICLE 57
*The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I am afraid Prof. K. T. Shah has not considered the matter as fully as he ought to have before moving his amendment. The omission of the Vice-President from article 57 is a very deliberate one, because as my friend Mr. Tajamul Husain has just now pointed out, his main functions, which are those of the Chairman of the Council of States, have been amply provided for by article 75 (1) where there is a Deputy Chairman who will function in his absence. It is therefore unnecessary to introduce any such amendment in article 57.
My friend Prof. Shah said that I was really borrowing very liberally from the amendments of other friends whenever I found that the Draft was in some way defective. I think Prof. K. T. Shah, if I may say so, has indirectly paid me a compliment because, as Emerson has said, “A genius is the most indebted man” and I am certainly most indebted to my friends.
Mr. Vice-President : I am now putting the amendments to vote.
The question is :
“That in article 57, after the words ‘the functions of President’ the words ‘or Vice-President’ be added.”
The amendment was negatived.
Mr. Vice-President : There are no other amendments. The question is :
“That article 57, stand part of the Constitution.”
The motion was adopted.
Article 57 was added to the Constitution.
- CAD, Vol. VII, 29th December 1948, p. 1117.