524 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Mr. Churchill : “Yes, Certainly” Mr. Cove laughs “I have always been in favour of extending the franchise. I believe in the will of the people. But I do not believe in perversion of the will of the people—actively organised and engineered minorities who having seized upon power by force or fraud or chicanery go forward and use that power in the name of vast masses with whom they have long lost all effective connection.
“But the Cabinet Mission’s proposal of May for the setting up of the Constituent Assembly was essentially a proposal that the main political parties of India should meet and through their representatives endeavour to work out the proposed constitution.”
Mr. Churchill, continuing, said, “It is still pertinent to inquire if His majesty’s Government consider that their proposed conference of the Constituent Assembly has begun.”
He added, “I feel bound to end on a positive conclusion although I will express it rather in terms of negation.” (Government laughter).
“In all this confusion, uncertainty and gathering storm which those who have studied the Indian problem for long years might well have foreseen, there appear at the present time three choices—three proverbial choices—before the British Parliament.
“The first is to proceed with ruthless logic to quit India regardless of what may happen there. The second is failing a measure of agreement not now in sight, an impartial administration appointed by Parliament should be set up to maintain the fundamental guarantees of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to the hundreds of millions of humble folk who now stand in jeopardy, bewilderment and fear. The third course is to let the Indian communities go their separate ways as they desire in or out of the British Commonwealth, whatever happens.”