534 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
right is never for a moment in dispute. But the question is are the people behind this law ?
Some Honourable Members : No, no.
Some other Honourable Members: Yes, yes.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad: I believe they are not behind the law, they are against it. (An Honourable Member: ‘They are for it’) How do you know they are for it ? A matter of this gigantic magnitude should be placed before the electorate. That is the constitutional procedure. In fact the day before yesterday Mr. Osborne told us that he could not agree to add certain things unless the matters were specifically brought to the notice of the electorate and permission is given by them. In fact they cannot do any such thing. They consider themselves incapable of proceeding in a constitutional manner without the consent of the electorate. But we are so far advanced that we can afford to disregard the opinion of the electorate. In fact at one time it was argued that the dilatory method is meant to defeat the purpose. If there is any election the Hindu Code would not be passed. This session the argument has been entirely the reverse. They say that they have shown that the electorate is with us. It is with their sanction that we have brought this Bill. It is neither with their sanction nor with their consent that you have brought forward this legislation.
How did this law start ? It was framed under the authority of a foreign government which was then desperately fighting for its own existence. English power was threatened with total extinction. It was a life and death struggle for the British. It was in these times that a Home member, Sir, Reginald Maxwell appointed the Rau Committee. So the thing was conceived under the pressure of a global war when the existance of England was at stake. When the Bill was prepared it was introduced by Mr. Jogendra Nath Mandal, the Minister of Law of the Interim Government. At that time the country was being ravaged by destructive struggles, enormous loss of life and disturbance to public peace on an unprecedented scale, when the then Minister knew the temporary character of the tenure of his office, when his thoughts were already focused on Pakistan and when he was no longer interested in the Bill, it was under those circumstances that the Bill was presented before the House. In fact Pakistan was more than a conception at that time it was already a reality. It was at that time the Bill was introduced in the Assembly……………..
Mr. Deputy Speaker : I find that there are a number of people on the waiting list. The honourable Member has already taken one and a half days. When is he likely to conclude ? Has he any idea himself ?