DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1203
Shri Naziruddin Ahmad : Even in foreign courts this is so.
Dr. Ambedkar : Everywhere this is the same. I have looked up even Stephen’s Digest of English law and I find that the wording is almost the same as we have got here.
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava : I am very much oblidged to my Hon. Friend the Law Minister for his having kindly explained.
Shri J. R. Kapoor : (Uttar Pradesh) : Has the hon. Member not finished ?
Mr. Deputy Speaker : No. He will continue. He is on his legs. Incidentally not only Members of Parliament but also outsiders are watching the progress of this Bill and there is some misunderstanding about my position. Once I sit here I have absolutely no colour, no caste, no creed. That is my honest position. To the best of my conscience I have tried to discharge my duties impartially. If any hon. Member feels rightly or wrongly that I am not doing it properly, I always welcome his coming and telling me privately that I must do this and that.
I find that even hon. Members of this House are under the impression that when an hon. Member is on his legs I can ask him to sit down. I have been appealing to hon. Members that with respect to important matters, certainly sufficient lattitude and time is necessary and must be allowed but if they repeat matters which have been discussed at various stages that is not right. Barring that, I am not in a position to impose any time restriction. If the Hon. Minister of Law can tell me that I can impose any time restriction on speeches under the law, it will be only too glad to avail of it.
Dr. Ambedkar : It cannot be done. But we have agreed amongst ourselves to impose a self-abnegation ordinance.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : I am very glad of that, but the burden should not be cast on the Chair. In a Finance Bill, I can apply the guillotine. This has been newly introduced. Hitherto the guillotine was applied to only Budget Grants, but recently it has been introuced so far as Finance Bills are concerned. I can fix a time limit and all amendments will be lost unless they are moved and accepted or rejected before that timelimit. But with respect to other Bills, I have no right to fix a time-limit even with respect to the Bill as a whole. With this restriction, I feel very much embarrassed if any hon. Member thinks that I am allowing too much time. That is my position and the position of anybody who may be in the Chair.