PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 189
this sort but I should have thought that if Prof. Shah was so keen as he appeared to be for a legislation of this sort, he should not have had an empty mind without any kind of a suggestion of his own. However, I suppose those who have supported his resolution have correctly interpreted his mind and taking into account the various speeches that have been made in support of Prof. Shah’s Resolution, it appears that many Members who are keen about adding some qualification other than those mentioned in the Constitution have in their mind some kind of an educational qualification. But none of them has been very precise : none of them has given me any idea as to what is the standard of education that they would like to prescribe in order that the candidate may become lawfully entitled to stand.
Now it seems to me that education can hardly be the sole qualification for membership of this House. If I may use the words of Buddha, he said that man requires two things. One is Gyan and the other is Sheel. Gyan without Sheel is very dangerous: it must be accompained by Sheel, by which we mean character, moral courage, ability to be independent of any kind of temptation, truthful to one’s ideals. I did not find any reference to the second qualification in the speeches I have heard from Members who have supported Prof. Shah, But even though I myself am very keen to see that no Member enters this August Assembly, who does not possess Sheel in adequate degree, I find it extremely difficult to find any means or methods to ensure that valuable qualification.
Coming to the question of education, I do not wish to be understood that I regard ignorance to be a virtue: let that be quite clear. I regard education to be a very necessary qualification for possessing that degree of competence which is very necessary for the performance of one’s duty. In this House there are people who, although they are not educated, are very competent to voice the grievances of the class whom they represent. I am sure about it. A more educated person would not be able to discharge that function, because he does not know and does not have that experience. But my friends who come from these classes and with whom I have naturally very great sympathy do not realise that what is more