DRAFT CONSTITUTION 821
there bits have been taken and denunciations have been indulged in to point out either that that is a useful provision or a dangerous provision. Well, I am prepared to say that this is a matter where there can be two opinions and I am not prepared to say that the opinion I hold or the opinion of the Drafting Committee is the only correct one in this matter. We have to provide some kind of constitution and I am prepared to say that the constitution provided is as reasonable and as practicable as can be thought of in the present circumstances.
Then there were two points that were made, one of them by my Friend Mr. Nagappa. He wanted that a provision should be made for there presentation of agricultural labour. I do not know that any such provision is necessary for the representation of agricultural labour in the Upper Chamber, because the Lower Chamber will be in my judgment having a very large representation of agricultural labour in view of the fact that the suffrage on which the Lower Chamber would be elected would be adult suffrage and I do not know…….
Shri S. Nagappa : If that is the case, all other sections also to whom you are giving will also get representation in the Lower Chamber.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : They are provided for very different reasons but agricultural labour would be amply provided in the Lower Chamber.
My friend Shri Muniswami Pillai by an amendment raised the question that there should be special representation for the Scheduled Castes in the Upper Chamber. Now, I should like to point out to Mm that so far as the Drafting Committee is concerned, it is governed by the report of the Advisory Committee which dealt with this matter. In the report of the Advisory Committee which was placed before the House during August
1947 the following provision finds a place :—
“(c) There shall be reservation of seats for the Muslims in the Lower House of the Central and Provincial Legislatures on the basis of their population.”
“3. (a) The section of Hindu community referred to as scheduled caste and defined in scheduled to the Government of India Act 1935 shall have the same rights and benefits which are herein provided for etc., etc., “which means that the representation to be guaranteed to the Scheduled Castes shall be guaranteed only in the Lower Houses of the Central and Provincial Legislatures. That being the decision of the Constitutent Assbmely, I do not think it is competent for the Drafting Committee to adopt any proposition which I do not want to injure anybody’s feeling, that if any one was vociferously in favour of this decision, it was my Friend Mr. Muniswamy Pillay and I think he ought to be content with what he agreed to abide by then.”
Mr. Vice-President : Dr. Ambedkar you have to formally withdraw amendment No. 2.