854 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
ARTICLE 296
*Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : .....My point is that the amendment should be rejected on technical as well as substantial grounds
Shri T.T. Krishnamachari (Madras : General) : May I submit, Sir, that my honourable Friend is wholly out of order in raising this point of Order, bacause this matter was accepted by the House. The honourable Member had two clear days’ notice of it and if he is not able to understand the significance of the amendment in two days, I am sure he cannot understand it in two months.
Mr. President : Is it suggested that when the question was reopened last time with regard to reservation of seats this also was one of the points considered and on this point also a decision was taken then ?
Shri T. T. Krishnamachari : My suggestion is that since Muslims and Indian Christians are no longer to be treated as minorities this point does not arise.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : Not at all. I submit that what was considered was the question of representation of minorities in the legislature. But this new article relates to a different matter, viz., the protection of the minorities in getting minor jobs in the secretariats and districts etc. On the matter of representation in the legislature Sardar Patel was kind enough to consult as and we agreed not to have any reservation in the legislature.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Bombay : General) : Sir, the position is this. The report of the Minorities Committee provided that all minorities should have two benefits or privileges, namely, representation in the legislatures and representation in the services. Paragraph 9 of the report which was accepted by this House contained this :
“In the all-India and provincial services the claims of all minorities shall be kept in view in making appointments to these services consistently with the consideration of efficiency in the administration.”
That was the original proposition passed by this House. Subsequently the Advisory Committee came to the conclusion on the consent of the two minorities—Muslims and Christians—that they were not to be treated as minorities. When the House has now accepted that the only minorities to be provided for in this manner are the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes obviously the Drafting Committee is bound by the decision of the House and to alter the article in terms of such decision.
*CAD. Vol. IX. 26th August 1949, p. 702.