180 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
*** Mr. Deputy Speaker :** May I know the reaction of the Hon. Minister to this amendment ?
Dr. Ambedkar : This clause is a clause which really gives effect to the suggestion made by the West Bengal Government. Personally I myself feel, however much sympathy I may have with my friend Mr. Bhargava, it involves the question of the assessment of the qualification of the dentist as distinguished from a person who makes a denture. I thought he was rather eloquent on the man who makes a denture. A person may make a denture without being a dentist. We are talking of a dentist, which is a very different profession.
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava : But he has got a degree of L.D.Sc.
Dr. Ambedkar : The point is this. When the Act was passed, this institution was not deemed to be worthy of recognition. Subsequently there has been a considerable degree of agitation and the West Bengal Government decided to examine the position as to whether any of the persons qualified by tuition in this college were worthy of recognition. They came to the conclusion that before 1940 the standard observed by this institution was something which could be considered for the purpose of recognition. But there again they said that although there was a standard maintained it was also known that many boys merely attended and filled in certain terms without learning anything. Therefore, the two additional qualifications were introduced that he should not only have obtained his diploma before 1940 but in the course of being a student in that college he should have filled in certain terms. It is to make the qualification a real one, worth of recognition, that these limitation were put in. I am personally prepared to place myself in the hands of the West Bengal Government who know the matter better, rather than substitute my own judgment, however great sympathy I may feel with the dentist themselves.
- P. D., Vol. 5, Part II, 11th August 1950, pp. 867-68.