PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 515
Dr. Ambedkar : In course of time Government’s view will be known. With regard to the other question of licences and so on, no doubt a great agitation is going on in
10 A . M . the country by the business community that if this clause stood as it now stands in the draft Bill of the Select Committee, the whole of the business community would be disfranchised from playing its part in Parliament, I mean in the political affairs of the country. I am sure that we do not want to bring about such a result. Every section of the community should have an opportunity of taking part in the politics of the country, of coming into Parliament, placing its points of view, modifying legislation in any way it thinks it ought to be. Parliament ought not to be a sectional body, representing any particular class or any particular group or any particular community so that the point of view of all others goes un-represented. I think that would be very unfair thing; it would be a disservice to Parliament in my judgment if such a thing happens. At the same time, I am quite clear in my mind that while the business community should have a fair opportunity to influence politics and to come into Parliament, we do not want Parliament to be converted into a Stock Exchange.
Pandit Maitra: They are already dominating.
Dr. Ambedkar: Another thing that we must bear in mind, and which I think goes to the root of the matter is that our Parliament and our Electoral law should be so constituted that the independence of the Members of Parliament as against the Government must be scrupulously observed, There can be no use in a Parliament if we adopt a system which permits the Government to corrupt the whole of the Parliament either by offering political offices or by offering some other advantages. If a Parliament cannot act independently without fear or without favour from the Government, in my judgment such a Parliament is of no use at all. Therefore, while it is necessary to permit every class of people to come into Parliament and to play their part, you must at the same time place some safeguards whereby Parliament will not be converted into a sort of what I might call chorus girls who would be saying always ditto to what the Government say.