Mr. President, Sir, I must frankly admit that, if I speak today, it is not because I have any contribution to make; for one thing this is not the stage to make any contribution to the debate or to any of the articles; for another, I am not in a mood to do so. But, Sir, I could not but fall an easy victim to the human weakness viz., to join my voice today, one of the most memorable days in the history of modern India. As an humble servant of this country, who has devoted a goodly portion of his life to activities in the parliamentary or legislative sphere, I consider it one of the proudest days of my life to be standing here today and to be able to associate myself with the motion for passing this Constitution of free India. Mr. President, it seldom falls to the lot of any man in any country to have this opportunity in his lifetime. In India at any rate I cannot visualize a thousand years back from now when such an occasion every arose. It is a memorable occasion, a momentous occasion, a solemn occasion. Sir, as I rise to speak today, memories, bitter and poignant, come crowding to my mind. Two generations of men before us fought and bled for the freedom of this country. Many of our illustrious sons in the parliamentary sphere ploughed the barren sands fondly hoping, by tinkering with this measure or that to bring about some from of amelioration from the hands of those who controlled the destinies of this country. They are dead and gone. They could not see the full fruition of the work they began. Their mantle fell on us. Not only in the legislative or the parliamentary sphere but in every other important sphere our men carried on relentless activities for the freedom of the country. Some of us have survived to see the materialisation of our dreams. Others have passed. I believe, not into oblivion, and a grateful nation should always remember on an occasion like this that but for them it would not have been possible for us to have anything to do like the framing of a constitution today ( Hear, hear ) Mr. President, I consider it my first duty today to pay my humble tribute to the memories of the great and patriotic sons……..
