1090 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
discussion on the consequential amendments will follow and the original clause with the consequential amendments will all then be put to vote and ultimately accepted or rejected.
Shri Ramlingam Chettiar : I do not know what a consequential amendment is.
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava : I ask whether it is fair to discuss only divorce and marriage. Is this procedure adopted in any House in the world that we should discuss only divorce and marriage, without knowing the implications and the rights and duties of the husband and wife or how they will succeed each other ? I think this will be extremely disingenuous and the real context of cognate matters will be missed.
Pandit Maitra : Sir, you just now ruled that only consequential amendments will be allowed to be moved but how could you know what is the consequence unless the amendments are put to vote and are either carried or rejected. Then we will be in a position to know what may be the consequential amendments. Therefore, this requires clarification. One cannot move a consequential amendment at a certain stage unless he knows the consequence after the amendments that have been tabled have been rejected or accepted. Unless one knows which particular amendment has been accepted or rejected, the question of a consequential change cannot arise. It is only when one knows the implications of a particular motion or amendment being accepted or rejected that the question of putting any consequential amendment would arise.
Shrimati Renuka Ray : Cannot the discussion, as to what is consequential and what is not, be allowed to be taken up afterwards ? That may take another six days.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: As I stated, subject to what the Hon. Law Minister may say—and I would like to have information—hon Members are anxious to know beforehand, whether any particular communities are going to be excluded and whether any particular territories are to be excluded—whether they have to be applied in part or wholly at one stretch etc. These are the subject matter of various amendments. This will apply not only to marriage and divorce but all the other things also. But there is nothing peculiar in this which cannot be applied as it is into marriage and divorce. As has been suggested by the Hon. Law Minister, he does not pursue the other matters. Only for the words “Hindu Code”, he might say that this is an amendment to that extent.....