Vol. 15 · pages 541–545

524 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES constituency, will you publish the results in the Gazette or will you wait until all the counting has been done in all the constituencies and the result is announced in a consolidated form in one issue of the Gazette. Seth Govind Das: What would be the use ? will it not be published in the various newspapers ? ( Interruption) Dr. Ambedkar: I want to understand his minute of dessent. His argument seems to me, and it is not unsound, is that people after all are carried away by what is called the herd instinct. If people had voted in one way in one constituency other people like to do so in their own constituency. It is a psychological point. He felt that if the result of the election in one constituency was announced, which was unfavourable to any particular party, then the other constituency also might say “Our neighbours have voted in one particular way and why make an experiment of voting in some other way. Let us vote in the same way.” Seth Govind Das: When the counting will take place in the presence of the candidate it would be known to all newspapers and how will you be able to withhold the result ? Dr. Ambedkar : You cannot. As I said no electoral law can be either foolproof or knave-proof. All sorts of loopholes will remain. Shri Sarangdhar Das (Orissa): I had put in the minute of dissent and I have also given an amendment, because there is a possibility of having the general election in some of the States, whereas other States are not ready with their electoral rolls and would like to have the elections sometime later. That is why I want that the results of the earlier elections should be held over until the later elections are over and all the results are announced simultaneously. Dr. Ambedkar: I was only trying to understand him, because his minute deals with that in a few sentences. No doubt the matter will be considered, because there is something to be said for the point of view he has urged. Mr. Deputy Speaker: It does not affect any individual election.

525PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES Dr. Ambedkar : It does not. I am only making a distinction between counting and announcing which is really the important thing. Shri Naziruddin Ahmad (West Bengal): The counting will be public and the result will be known and published in the papers. Dr. Ambedkar : As regards counting it is there in the rules. Then there is this ticklish question of the use of conveyances. The Bill does not permit the candidate to employ cars or other means of transport for conveying his voters but it does permit the voter himself, if he has got a car, to use it for the purpose of going to the polling booth and registering his vote. Seth Govind Das: Can a voter hire a cart ? Dr. Ambedkar : He may if he wants to pay, but our friends are rather worried over this. They say that it is perfectly possible for a candidate to circumvent this provision by putting a few pieces of money into the hands of the voter and say “You hire the car and I pay for your conveyance. Come and vote for me.” Therefore they say this provision would be nugatory. I do not deny the possibility of such circumvention but the question we have to consider is whether this provision will be circumvented on such a large scale as altogether to nullify the provisions of this particular section. My reply is that it would not be so possible. That is my view. On the other hand, we have to take into consideration two other factors—I shall be very frank about it. We are making provision for our polling booths to be within two or three miles of each village. In that event perhaps it is not necessary to use a car at all. On the other hand, there is also the fact that there are many people who have got a right to vote, who are willing to vote, but who on account of their old age are not able to walk to the polling stations. There are many people who are lame or who have some kind of a physical disability which prevents them from going to the polling booths on their feet. An hon. Member: Such as ladies. Dr. Ambedkar: Well. I do not know. If you say ladies, yes,—women in India walk and therefore I am not concerned with them.

526 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Dr. Deshmukh (Madhya Pradesh): What are our sisters in this House, ladies or women ? Dr. Ambedkar: I shall leave it to them to answer. Therefore, as I said, in determining this question we have to take into consideration these various factors. One is this that our polling booths will be much nearer than they used to be. Secondly, there may be a good many people who on account of their physical disability will not be able to go to the polls. Are you going to deny altogether any kind of physical aid by way of transport to such people to go and register their votes ? Shri J. R. Kapoor (Uttar Pradesh): Make an exception in their case. Dr. Ambedkar : As I said, I am not concluding the matter by expressing any dogmatic opinion. I am putting both sides of the question before the House. It is for the House to determine. Personally, I do not mind if transport is completely stopped; anybody who wants to vote may go on foot and vote. But we have got to consider this question that there are a large number of people who may not be in a position to go and we must make some kind of a provision for them. Then I come to another point which is very important: obtaining of assistance from Government servants in the elections. That point is raised by Mr. Gokulbhai Bhatt and also, I believe by my friend Mr. Khandubhai Desai. I cannot help saying that this is a very important provision and in considering this the following points, I think, require attention. We must make a distinction between the right to vote and the right to take active part either in forming a political party or in helping an existing political party. So far as the right to vote is concerned, nobody in this country is denied that right; neither the government officers employed in the civil services nor the military personnel have any impediments placed in their way in the matter of exercising their right to vote. The only question that arises for consideration is this, whether they should be permitted to form an association of themselves for the purpose of starting a political party or

527PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES helping any particular political party. It seems to me that to allow the civil or military servants of the Government to take past in party politics is nothing short of sowing the seeds of subverting the Government. That point can never be forgotten, it seems to me. If our Secretariat servants were allowed to form a political organisation as against the existing Government that they wish to bring about, what would happen to the administration ? Could they be expected to be loyal to a government which they intended to overthrow by their political activities ? It seems to me the whole administration will come down to pieces. Secondly, it must be remembered—and I emphasise it because I find that it is not generally remembered as it ought to be—that whether the political party of the government, the Ministers and so on, is partial or impartial or whether they side on one side or the other is a matter of small moment. What is of importance is the impartiality of the administration. The administration, in my judgment, is far more important than government as such. And supposing the administration was permitted to associate itself with political parties, would the administration be impartial ? Would they not favour those who work with them and disfavour those who do not work with them ? What would happen to the administration ? Therefore, I am very strongly opposed to the suggestion made by my friend. Mr. Khandubhai Desai or by Mr. Gokulbhai Bhatt that the administrtation should be permitted to take part in politics or to help any particular candidate by holding meetings for him, for canvassing, for collecting funds, and this, that or the other. I think it is absolutely subversive of civil and military government Shri Bhatt (Bombay): That is not the idea behind my suggestion. Shri Khandubhai Desai (Bombay): You were not replying to my minute regarding the activities of ordinary employees of Government in support of any candidate. Dr. Ambedkar: I thought you were dealing with it generally, but if you were to move an amendment then the matter will be debated at a later date. I have plenty of material

528 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES on this subject and I think I shall be able to satisfy the House on this point. Shri Bhatt: What I have suggested does not concern the officers and persons holding administrative posts but only the ordinary run of employees known as the officials. Dr. Ambedkar: It is very difficult to make a distinction between ekewyh deZpkjh and cMs+ deZpkjh . There is one other question and that is with regard to the use of symbols. The Select Committee has decided that religious and national symbols shall not be used. Our friend, Mr. Das, and then Mr. Man and Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee differ. Mr. Das is in favour of the provision but he wants to extend it. He said that there might be colourable imitations of the prohibited symbol and since they were only colourable and not actual it might be possible for members of the political party to get round this particular provision. Well, as I said. I do not know whether I can find any suitable words to prohibit colourable imitation. I have not as yet found any suitable expression to overcome that difficulty. Our friend, Mr. Man and Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee object to it. They say symbols should be permitted.—the Hindu Mahasabha should have its own flag to carry on the election compaign. I think that the provision in the Bill as reported by the Select Committee is a very sound one, because I think that elections ought to be conducted on issues which have nothing to do with, for instance, religion or culture. A political party should not be permitted to appeal to any emotion which is aroused by reason of something which has nothing to do with the daily affairs of the people. Shri Kamath: What about political emotion ? Dr. Ambedkar: Political emotion—enthusiasm—is all right, but I think that any emotion other than political emotion should not be permitted. Therefore, this is a good provision and the suggestions made are unacceptable to me, Then I come to the last point in the Select Committee’s Report which I know has caused a great deal of heart burning i.e. with regard to the return of election expenses—what