z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 1 Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (14th April 1891 - 6th December 1956) Courtesy : Shant Swaroop Shant, Delhi z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 2 BLANK z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 3 Our Constitution must not be a dictatorship but must be a Constitution in which there is a parliamentary democracy, where Government is all the time on the anvil so to say, on its trial responsible to the people, responsible to the judiciary, then I have no hesitation in saying, that the principles emboded in the Constitution are as good as, if not better than the principles emboded in any other Constitution. Constituent Assembly Debates, Vol. 9, 17th September 1949, p. 1663 z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 4 z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 5 (Facsimile of Dr. Ambedkar’s letter to The Secretary, All India Depressed Classes Conference, Nagpur, dated 28 February 1930.) z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 6 z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 7 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR WRITINGS AND SPEECHES VOL. 15 (SECTIONS I TO VIII) Edited by Vasant Moon z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 8 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar : Writings and Speeches Vol. 15 First Edition by Education Department, Govt. of Maharashtra : 26 January, 1997 Re-printed by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation : January, 2014 ISBN (Set) : 978-93-5109-064-9 Courtesy : Monogram used on the Cover page is taken from Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar’s Letterhead. © Secretary Education Department Government of Maharashtra Price : One Set of 1 to 17 Volumes (20 Books) : ` 3000/- Publisher: Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India 15, Janpath, New Delhi - 110 001 Phone : 011-23357625, 23320571, 23320589 Fax : 011-23320582 Website : www.ambedkarfoundation.nic.in The Education Department Government of Maharashtra, Bombay-400032 for Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Source Material Publication Committee Printer M/s. Tan Prints India Pvt. Ltd., N. H. 10, Village-Rohad, Distt. Jhajjar, Haryana z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 9 Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment & Chairperson, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Kumari Selja MESSAGE Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Chief Architect of Indian Constitution was a scholar par excellence, a philosopher, a visionary, an emancipator and a true nationalist. He led a number of social movements to secure human rights to the oppressed and depressed sections of the society. He stands as a symbol of struggle for social justice. The Government of Maharashtra has done a highly commendable work of publication of volumes of unpublished works of Dr. Ambedkar, which have brought out his ideology and philosophy before the Nation and the world. In pursuance of the recommendations of the Centenary Celebrations Committee of Dr. Ambedkar, constituted under the chairmanship of the then Prime Minister of India, the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF) was set up for implementation of different schemes, projects and activities for furthering the ideology and message of Dr. Ambedkar among the masses in India as well as abroad. The DAF took up the work of translation and publication of the Collected Works of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar published by the Government of Maharashtra in English and Marathi into Hindi and other regional languages. I am extremely thankful to the Government of Maharashtra’s consent for bringing out the works of Dr. Ambedkar in English also by the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation. Dr. Ambedkar’s writings are as relevant today as were at the time when these were penned. He firmly believed that our political democracy must stand on the base of social democracy which means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life. He emphasized on measuring the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. According to him if we want to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, we must hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. He advocated that in our political, social and economic life, we must have the principle of one man, one vote, one value. There is a great deal that we can learn from Dr. Ambedkar’s ideology and philosophy which would be beneficial to our Nation building endeavor. I am glad that the DAF is taking steps to spread Dr. Ambedkar’s ideology and philosophy to an even wider readership. I would be grateful for any suggestions on publication of works of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar. (Kumari Selja) z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 10 Collected Works of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar (CWBA) Editorial Board Kumari Selja Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India and Chairperson, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Shri Manikrao Hodlya Gavit Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India Shri P. Balram Naik Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India Shri Sudhir Bhargav Secretary Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India Shri Sanjeev Kumar Joint Secretary Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India and Member Secretary, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Shri Viney Kumar Paul Director Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Shri Kumar Anupam Manager (Co-ordination) - CWBA Shri Jagdish Prasad ‘Bharti’ Manager (Marketing) - CWBA Shri Sudhir Hilsayan Editor, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 11 CHIEF MINISTER MAHARASHTRA FOREWORD The present volume of the speeches and writings of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar covers the period from his entry into the Constituent Assembly from the pre-partition Bengal till his death on 6 December 1956. The first portion contains his speeches and writings as the Law Minister of Government of India and the last or the concluding portion contains speeches and writings when he was Opposition Member in the Parliament. Whether in the Government or in the opposition, his speeches and writings show continuity of his thought-processes and his deep dedication to the ideals of justice and fairplay. The subjects covered in the present volume are different and disparate. They appear relevant even to the present context and reflect Dr. Ambedkar’s insight into the nature of political and social processes. In the course of discussion on the Representation of the People’s Act, a member argued that he would allow a criminal to stand as a candidate since every adult has a right to vote and contest election. Dr. Ambedkar’s answer in general was that the electoral process depended upon the general improvement in the minds of our people as a whole and that there are certain moral principles which we must assert. He foresaw that such an elevation of moral sentiments could come some day. I may quote here comments of Dr. Ambedkar on qualifications of a candidate for political office. He said, “Now it seems to me that education can hardly be the sole qualification for membership of this House. If I may use the words of Buddha, he said that man requires two things. One is Gyan and the other is Sheel. Gyan without sheel is very dangerous : It must be accompanied by Sheel, by which we mean character, moral courage, ability to be independent of any kind of temptation, truthful to one’s ideals. I did not find any reference to the second qualification in the speeches. I have heard from Members who have supported Professor z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 12 Shah. But even though I myself am very keen to see that no member enters this August Assembly, who does not possess Sheel in adequate degree, I find it extremely difficult to find any means or methods to ensure that valuable qualification.” Dr. Ambedkar pleads that while it is difficult to prescribe educational qualification for membership of Parliament, people should send good men of character. He says, “I have no doubt about it that if the political parties, for their own particular purposes do not attend to it, people are not going to allow persons who cannot discharge their functions properly in this House to be continued and returned forever. They want results, they want their welfare to be attended to, and I am sure about it that they will realise that the only instrumentality through which they can achieve this purpose is to send good men to this House. Therefore, I think the proper course is to leave the matter to the people”. The social reforms movement gained strength and undoubtedly brought about changes in the social structure, promoting in the process, equality and fraternity. The era of equality and fraternity was ushered in with the rise of the Maratha power under Shivaji, the Great who was accessible even to the lowest of the low from all sections of the society. Dr. Ambedkar was the product of the movement for social reforms in Maharashtra initiated by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Justice Ranade, Agarkar, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Prabodhankar Thakre. Dr. Ambedkar’s speeches and writings in the present volume are indeed instructive and enlightening and trace the evolution of modern political institutions in the country. They truly represent a significant phase in the evolution of the Indian polity. (MANOHAR JOSHI) January 26, 1997 Chief Minister of Maharashtra z:\ ambedkar\vol-15\vol15-01.indd MK SJ+YS 9-10-2013 13 MINISTER FOR HIGHER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA MANTRALAYA, MUMBAI 400 032 PREFACE I am indeed happy to see that the Government of Maharashtra has brought out the present volume consisting of speeches and writings of Dr.