DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 731
All that I said was that Jain and Sikh members will be given preference to other members. I have no intention of shutting out any others.
As it stands at present, I find that the suggestion of the Government is very reasonable. They have spent so many days on the discussion of this Bill and have given one more day. If still on Monday,
4 P.M. it is the general wish of the House that they should go on, I am absolutely in the hands of the House. So far as the Chair is concerned, it is satisfied that there has been sufficient discussion.
Shri Mahavir Tyagi : I protest against this. I feel that the Chair’s benign eye should not make a distinction between any class, caste or creed. Your eye should go round the House without distinction of majority or minority.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : The Hon. Member has thoroughly misunderstood me. Whenever a Bill comes up for discussion which affects certain communities—unfortunately there are different communities in this country—a chance should be given to the representatives of all communities to express their views. If the Hon. Member reads this Bill, he will find that the scope of the Bill includes Jains and Sikhs also. A number of Hindus have already spoken and so I must allow some Jains and Sikhs to speak now. We must know their viewpoints before we go through the Bill clause by clause.
Shri Mahavir Tyagi : I protest .........
Mr. Deputy Speaker : I cannot tolerate this. The Hon. Member will kindly note that it is improper to use this language.
- Prof. K. T. Shah (Bihar : General): Sir, originally when the Bill was first introduced and this motion came before the House, I had no great intention to intervenue in the debate. But now that the debate has proceeded so far and a variety of view have been placed before this House, now that there is freedom of voting from Party mandate, I feel it necessary to make some observations arising out of the motion, and of the Bill, which I trust, will receive the consideration of the Hon. the Law Minister and his colleagues.
You Sir, have been pleased to say that I have been called upon as a Jain to speak on the matter. I stand here only as a member of the House, and can claim no special right or privilege to speak as a member of any community. I call myself only as Indian citizen and
*C.A. (Leg.) D., Vol. VI, Part II, 14th December 1949, pp. 602-607.