What after all are the arguments for the creation of second chambers? There are three or four main reasons adduced by the protoganists of second chambers. Firstly, there is the force of tradition in some countries. Happily for our country we have no such tradition. The British, for their own convenience perhaps, introduced this system of second chambers and I hope with the quittal of the British this system also will leave our shores. There is no tradition so far as our country is concerned. There is another reason given i.e. for the adequate representation of interests no sufficiently represented in the Lower House. In this Constitution we have already dispensed with any special representation in the Lower House which obtained in the Government of India Act and earlier enactments. We have provided for a uniform mode of representation and from this new standpoint there is no reason whatever for the creation of second chambers. Another reason given is that it is a check on hasty legislation. Do we really want checks now a days at all ? After all we are well aware that Legislation in the modern world is a very cumbrous and elaborate affair-in a democratic world I mean-and a very dilatory process at times. Every Bill has got to pass through various stages, the introductory stage, select committee stage, second reading, third reading, etc. and so many months lapse. We have already experience in this House sitting as Parliament that some Bills have taken as much as more than a year for their enactment and during this period which is prolonged to one year or so, the public at large-not only the House-have got adequate time at their disposal to reflect on the Bill. So there is no necessity for any check on hasty legislation because in a democracy legislation is always well thought out and deliberated upon and has to pass through many stages before a Bill becomes law. Then there is also a fourth argument viz. it is a sort of protective armour for the vested interests. We certainly are not going to allow vested interests to influence our economy and to that extent I feel the creation of second chambers is a retrograde proposal. In short, I feel that the second chamber is either superfluous or pernicious as the French politician-philosopher Abbe Sieyes once observed : he said that “if the second chamber agrees with the first chamber it is superfluous and if it disagrees with the Lower House, then it is pernicious.” In either case to my mind there is no case whatever for the creation of second chambers and therefore, I plead with this House that this part of the proposed article 148-A which provides for the creation of second chamber in a State where there is none may be deleted and the article without that portion be adopted. I move therefore Amendment No. 86 of List III (First Week) and I hope that the House will see its way to accepting the same.
