DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 775
whether it will be proper or fair on our part just to call them out when this business is being taken up in an unexpected manner. That is the only point which really worries me. I find that Mr. Rohini Kumar Chaudhari is present. I also notice that Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad is here.
Shri R. K. Chaudhari (Assam): I would ask you to give us half an hour so that other Members may also be present.
Mr. Speaker : Let us proceed. I will call upon Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad.
Pandit Kunzru (Uttar Pradesh): May I suggest that the discussion should begin with a statement from the Hon. the Law Minister who held a conference with various interests. He has circulated a short report of the discussions that took place in the conference, but I think all sides of the House will be glad to hear a fuller account of the conference from him and the resume of the amendments that he has proposed. I think that would be a more proper course and this in a sense will give Members some time.
Dr. Ambedkar : I do not know that I have anything more to add. I took particular care to submit a statement to you with a view to its being circulated to Members at the very commencement of this session, so that Members may have a full account of what happened. I am rather sorry that we were not able to take a verbatim record of the proceedings of the Conference on account of the fact that several Members spoke in several different languages. Some spoke in Hindi, some spoke in English, some spoke in Marathi, some spoke in Gujarati and some spoke even in Sanskrit. It was quite impossible to take down a verbatim record, and I think, some also spoke in Tamil language. It was, therefore, quite impossible to have any person as a stenographer to take down the verbatim record. Otherwise, I should have been very glad to do so. Consequently, I myself, according to my memory summarised the points that were put before the Conference for discussion, the points which I found had emerged in the course of the discussion that had taken place in this House, from different stands of the House. They were placed before them and they were invited to address the Conference and I subsequently found out what was the largest measure of agreement among the speakers who took part and in accordance with that, I have suggested certain amendments to the original Bill.
You will also recall, Sir that in order to help the House. I have prepared two different texts of the Hindu Code, one in a serial order