766 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
My Friend Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava and I believe Dr. Deshmukh want to refer this Bill to a Select Committee. So far as what my friend Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava said yesterday is concerned. I was not inclined to accept his suggestion, because I did not think that he had advanced any grounds of any substance. But in so far as he pleaded that this is rather a strange measure so far as he is concerned and he might like to have more time to address himself to the examination of the provisions here, to understand the motives behind it, and so on. Out of pure compassion, I am prepared to accept his suggestion.
Dr. Deshmukh (Madhya Pradesh) : Why not accept the motion for reference to the Select Committee ?
Dr. Ambedkar: I want to save the time of the House. I am quite prepared to explain the provisions of the Bill if that would satisfy him and he would withdraw his motion. But I think that would be waste of time, because he will persist. I am prepared to accept the motion for reference to the Select Committee.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Whatever the reasons be, the Hon. Minister is willing to accept the motion to the Select Committee. So I think not much of debate need go on now.
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava: So far as this qsuestion of compassion is concerned .........
Mr. Deputy Speaker: No question of compassion..
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava: Then is it passion ? I would only submit that the reasons advanced were so cogent that they moved even Dr. Ambedkar to accept the motion for reference to the Select Committee. I have as much regard for the value of the time of the House as anyone else; but I may point out that in this want of knowledge about this matter, I am not alone. There are many who want to get more knowledge about this subject.
Dr. Ambedkar: There is no catch in it.
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava: There may be no catch ; but at the same time, we must be satisfied that as a matter