PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 559
circumstances happen to belong to the categories mentioned in this amendment. I have no doubt in my mind that such a monopoly would be a vicious thing to introduce into the political life of this country. I should also like to state that I am not at all satisfied that merely because a person has intelligence or merely because he has experience, he is the only person necessarily fitted to fill a seat in Parliament. As I stated in the course of the debate, I attach far greater importance to character than to intelligence or experience and the amendment certainly does not ensure that the people who would be elected under the provisions of the Constitution would be of better character. The motive, if I understand correctly, of the Mover of that amendment is to improve the efficiency of parliament generally. I take it that is so. Now, let us examine each of the categories from that point of view. Take the first namely, one year membership of a legislative chamber. I am unable to understand what one year’s experience of the membership of a legislature to a person who has no education who is not even literate, can mean in terms of efficiency ? Take the second category; elected member of any local self-governing body like the muncipality or the district local board. Here again the same question arises. I have not got much experience of a municipal corporation or a council. I happen not to have the experience but I have some knowledge of the district local boards and all that I remember is this, that the members of the district local board are generally most anxious to hold a meeting on the bazar day so that they can come there, take their travelling allowance, buy their weekly or monthly purchase in the bazar and go back. ( Interruption ) I do not know; there may be others and I know that case also, ( some hon. Members: Not now.) That is my experience. Now in the village panchayat I again fail to understand what efficiency can there be in a member who is a villager, who happens to be a member of a village panchayat. What are their functions ? What resources have they ? What technical knowledge of administration do they possess ? Take a public servant who has been in service for five years undoubtedly must have certain experience, certain knowledge of all administrative processes, ( interruption ). A public servant, I take it is of a high character. I do not know