1118 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
proceeding with it. I mentioned that the vast bulk of the people are against it, but there is something even more fundamentally wrong in the situation. The Hon. Law Minister himself at one stage, when on a previous occasion this matter was before this House, said in reply to an inquiry by an hon. Member that it was not intended at that time that his Bill should apply to the people of what was then called the Indian States. And in his usual, careful and accurate manner he said that if at any time the States came into the picture, the matter would have to be gone into entirety before it was taken up—or something to that effect; I am not quoting his words. Everyone knows that this Bill was not published in any Gazette of those States. It was published in the Gazette of the Government of India, it was published in the Gazettes of some of the Provinces, but because there was not thought to be any occasion for it, it was not published in the Gazettes of any of the States. And the people of the States did not therefore find themselves called upon to consider the matter; in fact, they had no concern with it whatsoever. What has been the result ? Today, by the fact of our new Constitution, all that territory forms part of the land and whatever is passed today is going to apply to the people of all those areas. Does anybody pause to consider the preposterous nature of the situation ? One-third of this country—not a little portion here or a little portion there—but whole one-third of this vast country.........
Shri Munavalli: It is not so, because many States have already been merged in the provinces.
Pandit Malaviya : My friend says “It is not so, because many States have been merged in the provinces”. I dare not controvert so wise a statement, but I thought that even before they were merged and surely since after their merger no publication of the Bill has been effected anywhere.
Shri Munavalli: Question.
Pandit Malaviya : My friend questions that statement. I think he is beyond me. One-third. I said and I repeat of this great subcontinent is going to be subjected to a law which is going to affect fundamentally the very foundations of their life and existence without their having had an opportunity to see what it is.
Shri Lakshmanan : (Travancore-Cochin.): May I point out that in some part of States the Bill was published—in Travancore-Cochin, for instance ?