DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 535
An Honourable Member: In this House nobody has any idea.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : Even the Law Minister has no idea. In fact this remark arose out of interruption. I may take some-time.
Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathi : How long ? The House is anxious.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : The House was entitled to know how long the Bill would be considered and there was no reply and therefore my position is more difficult.
The Assembly then adjourned for Lunch till Half Past Two of the Clock.
The Assembly re-assembled after Lunch at Half Past Two of the Clock, Mr. Speaker (The Honourable Mr. G. V. Mavalankar) in the Chair.
Shri H. V. Kamath : Sir, there does not appear to be a quorum in the House.
Mr. Speaker: I think there is a quorum.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : Sir, when we rose before Lunch I was dealing with the question as to whether it will be proper for this House to pass this legislation. With regard to the constitutional power of this House I have no doubt that we are constitutionally competent to pass a law of this nature. The question really is whether we have the moral right, or whether it would be morally proper for us to pass this law. The whole question would be whether this House has been authorised directly or indirectly by our constituencies to agree to this law. Some honourable Members say that the people are behind the Bill. My impression is that the people are not behind the Bill. The number of objections which are already on record is great. I believe that objections are pouring into the Legislative Assembly Department and they are so numerous that they could not be classified or docketed or dealt with in any systematic manner. They are pouring in on a gigantic scale. That shows the intensity of public feeling. The question is whether we in a democratic society, in a Legislature constituted on a democratic basis, should pass the law without ascertaining the opinion of the public. As I was submitting the Bill owes its conception to an alien Government which was, at the lime of its inception fighting for its own existence and was busy and otherwise occupied. The Bill was submitted to the