PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 681
*Mr. Chairman : Amendment moved :
In part (f) of sub-clause (1) of clause 7, for the words “five years” substitute the words “three years”.
Dr. Ambedkar : I could have adopted the same procedure which I had adopted with regard to most of the amendments, namely, to stand up and say that I do not propose to accept these amendments. In this case it seems somewhat necessary to make an exception, because some questions have been raised which I think call for some explanation.
In the first place, I would like to give a reply to my hon. Friend there who said that the House has been taken by surprise at the fag end of the debate on this Bill by bringing in clause 7 at this time. It is quite true that clause 7 is brought before the House in a formal way only today. But I think my Friend will agree that there is no clause in this Bill to which the House as a whole, although informally, has devoted such a large part of its attention as clause 7.
Dr. S. P. Mookerjee (West Bengal) : Most important clause.
Dr. Ambedkar: I cannot remember the number of meetings that were held of the Select Committee, of the larger Committee that was appointed, and also of the Committee of the whole House. I do not therefore think that there is any ground for the complaint that sufficient attention has not been paid to the provisions of clause 7. I think the clause has undergone a great deal of examination both from the point of view of propriety and from the point of view of meeting practical difficulties.
Now, Sir, I will take some of the individual points that were made by various speakers. I will not devote any attention, to what my Friend Mr. Kamath said, and I do not think that he expects much attention being paid to his suggestion for provision being made for shutting out the deaf and the dumb.
Shri Kamath : It exists in England.
*P. D., Vol. 12, Part II, 28th May 1951, pp. 9564-70.