526 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Mr. Butler added, “I welcome the Government’s last statement and in particular the last part of it that it is not contemplated that any constitution will be forced on unwilling parts of country. I should, however, like clarification on one or two points. The statement refers to a large section of Indian population inhabiting parts of the country. These words are new to those of us who are versed in Indian affairs. Sir Stafford Cripps speaking in the debate used a rather different language, which I maintain is too narrow in its terms and there may be confusion in India if this matter is not cleard up.
“Sir Stafford Cripps said that if the Muslim League cannot be persuaded to come into the Constituent Assembly then parts of the country where they are in a majority cannot be held to be bound by the result, I do not think the Government ought to confine themselves solely to the Muslim League. It is much fairer to use the expression Muslims as a whole and I hope that the Minister replying today will confirm that the original sense prevails and that communities and elements are in question and not simply a League, a party of representative of a community.”
Mr. Butler said, the Opposition was not thinking only of the Muslim community, but other minorities whose case had been put in Parliament and would be put again.
“In order that Britain’s mission should be well, honourably and successfully discharged it seemed to be essential that a proper understanding should be established between Parliament and the Indian people. There was every reason why all points of view should be put clearly round the table and no facts left unfaced.
Mr. Buttler said that no section of Sir Stafford Cripps speech had been less convincing and more reprehensible than his skating over the manner in which Scheduled Castes representation had been introduced into the Assembly. He had never been able to understand the facile acceptance by the labour movement of the position in which the interests of poorest and most under-privileged section in India had been neglected and sold to their long-time oppressors and he was astonished that the Prime Minister had been able to lend himself to this bargain. The Government ought never to have accepted this positions.