Shri Jawaharlal Nehru: I wish to read out to the House his letter of resignation because normally a statement by a Minister is related to his letter of resignation.
Dr. Deshmukh: How does it arise, since the statement is not there?
Mr. Deputy Speaker: It arises this way. We have Ministers introduced to the House when a Minister is appointed under the direction or on the advice of the Prime Minister. It is open to the Prime Minister to read the letter of resignation to the House.
Dr. Deshmukh: It is the privilege of a Member to make a statement. If that is lacking I do not know under what rules you are proposing to act and how the necessity for any other statement arises.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: It is always open to the Chair to allow any statement to be made on behalf of the Government.
Dr. Deshmukh: I do not object to that. I want to point out how it arises out of the situation that arose this morning.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: The Government wants to make an ex- planation regarding a particular matter and where all persons are interested an opportunity should be given.
Shri Jawaharlal Nehru: As you know, Sir, so far as I am concerned I was expecting him to make his statement and if I may say so with all respect. I did not know that the statement would not be made then or that you would fix another time for it. I do not expect the developments as they occurred. But since this has happened and the statement has been published in the press or is going to be, I think the House would be interested greatly in the letters exchanged. I am not referring to the statement in the least, but I am referring to the letters exchanged between Dr. Ambedkar and myself.
The first letter he wrote to me does not refer to his resignation and is deated the 10th August 1951. It reads:
New Delhi,
10th August 1951
My Dear Prime Minister,
My health is causing a great deal of anxiety to me and to my doctors. they have been pressing that I must allow them a longer period of about a month for continuous treatment and that such treatment cannot now be postponed without giving rise to further complications. I am most anxious that the Hindu Code Bill should be disposed of before I put myself in the hands of my doctors. I would, therefore, like to give the Hindu Code Bill a higher priority by taking it up on the 16th of August and finish it by the 1st of September if opponents do not practice obstructive tactics. You know I attach the greatest importance to this measure and would be prepared to undergo any strain on my health to get the Bill through. But if the strain could be avoided by getting through the Bill earlier I am sure you will have no objection. In proposing 16th August, I am allowing priority to all urgent Bills such as those relating to the Punjab, the Ordinances and Shri Gopalaswami Ayyangar’s Bill relating to Part C States
I write this because I heard that in the last Party meeting you are reported to have said that the Bill may be aken up in the first week of September. I am sure that that was merely your suggestion. It was not your decision.
With kind regards.
Yours sincerely, Sd/- B.R. Ambedkar.
I wrote to him the same day:
My dear Ambedkar,
I wrote to you yesterday about the Hindu Code Bill. Today I got your things a little easy.
I am sorry that your health is causing anxiety. I suggest that you take things a little easy.
About the Hindu Code Bill, you know that we have a good deal of opposition not only inside the House but outside. With the best will in the world, we cannot brush aside this opposition and get things done quickly. They have it in their power to delay a great deal. We must therefore proceed with some tact and with a view to achieve results. I am anxious that the Bill should be passed in this Session.
The Cabinet decision was, and I think it was recorded in the minutes, that the Bill should be taken up at the beginning of September. I mentioned that at the Party Meeting and they agreed. For us to try to hasten it and bring it earlier would needlessly give a handle to our opponents and create trouble. (To be continued)
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings & Speeches, Vol. 15. (pages 823-825) 1997. Govt. of Maharashtra, Bombay. The book may be had from Director, Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Netaji Subhash Road, Bombay – 400 004.
