Frank Anthony (Contd): Believe me, Sir, when | tell you that |, at any rate, do not think that there is a single right minded minority that does not want to see this country reach, and reach in the shortest possible time, the goal of a real secular democratic State. We believe — we must believe — that in the achievement of that goal lies the greatest guarantee of any minority section in this country. As Dr. Ambedkar has said, we have struck a golden mean in this matter. The minorities too have been helpful… Finally Sir, | wish to say that it is not so much on the written word of the printed Constitution that will ultimately depend whether we reach that full stature, but on the spirit in which the leaders and administrators of the country implement this Constitution of ours and on the spirit in which they approach the vast problems that face us; on the way in which we discharge the spirit of this Constitution will depend the measure of our fulfillment of the ideals which we all believe in.
Shri Krishna Chandra Sharma (United Provinces: General): | Join in the pleasant task to compliment Dr. Ambedkar for the well worked out scheme he has placed before the House, the hard work he was put in, and yesterday’s able and lucid speech.
Sir, in considering a constitution we have to take note of the fact that the Constitution is not an end in itself. A Constitution is framed for certain objectives and these objectives are the general good of the people, the stability of the State and the growth and development of the individual. In India we say the growth and development of the individual we mean his self realisation, self-development and self-fulfillment. When we say the development of the people, we mean to say a strong and united nation….
Shri T.T. Krishnamachari (Madras: General): Mr. President, Sir, | am one of those in the House who have listened to Dr. Ambedkar very carefully. | am aware of the amount of work and enthusiasm that he has brought to bear on the work of drafting this Constitution. At the same time 1 do realise that that amount of attention that was necessary for the purpose of drafting a constitution so important to us at this moment has not been given to it by the Drafting Committee. The House is parhaps aware that of the seven members nominated by you, one had resigned from the House and was replaced. One died and was not replaced. One was away in America and his place was not filled up and another person was engaged in State affairs and there was a void to that extent. One or two people were far away frem Delhi and perhaps reasons of health did not permit them to attend So it happened ultimately that the burden of drafting this Constitution fell on Dr. Ambedkar and | have no doubt that we are grateful to him for having achieved-this task in a manner which is undoubtedly commendable. But my point really is that the attention that was due to a matter like this has not been given to it by the Committee as a whole. Sometime in April the Secretariat of the Constituent Assembly had intimated me and others besides myself that you had decided that the Union Powers Committee, the Union Constitution Committee and the Provincial Constitution Committee, at any rate the members thereof, and a few other selected people should meet and discuss the various amendments that had been suggested by the members of the House and also by the general public. A meeting was held for two days in April last and | believe a certain amount of good work was done and | see that Dr. Ambedkar has chosen to accept certain recommendations of the Committee, but nothing was heard about this committee thereafter. | understand that the Drafting Committee — at any rate Dr. Ambedkar and Mr. Madhav Rau — met thereafter and scrutinised the amendments and they have made certain suggestions, but technically perhaps this was not a Drafting Committee. Though | would not question your ruling on this matter, one would concede that the moment a committee had reported that Committee became funcius officio, and | do not | remember your having reconstituted the Drafting Committee.
Shri Biswanath Das (Orissa: General): Mr. Vice-President, Sir, rise to thank the Honourable Dr. Ambedkar for the brilliant analysis of the Constitution that he presented to the Constituent Assembly. Sir, | equally thank his colleagues who laboured hard for six long months to forge the Constitution that is presented to this House…
Shri B. Das (Orissa: General): Mr. Vice President, Sir, at the outset | must pay my tribute to the Drafting Committee that did a greatly arduous work and put into shape and form the Constitution Bill which we were considering today and which we have to alter according to our will, so that a proper sovereign Constitution will be designed for India. While | pay my tribute to Dr. Ambedkar and his colleagues, | must also pay the tribute that your advisers deserve…. (To be continued)
