An honourable Member drew my attention to changes of a serious nature sought to be introduced by this amendment. By this amendment certain service rules are to be made applicable only to Scheduled Castes and scheduled tribes. In the original article of the Draft Constitution all minorities were sought to be covered. I would like to know what is the reason for this change why this change should be made in this disguised form. It would have been straightforward for any Member to give notice that for “all minority communities” in the original article, the words “members of the Scheduled Castes and scheduled tribes” be substituted. Instead of that the whole clause was redrafted. It is only by chance that I noticed the change. My point of Order, therefore, is: first that it is an amendment to the Constitution itself; and second, it is not one of those subjects which, as I know, has ever been submitted for consideration by the House. Thirdly, it is not expressed to indicate the precise change to be effected on the original article. I wish to know how long this practice of facing the House at the, eleventh hour with absolutely new articles containing vital changes which it is difficult to discover is going to be followed. One day recently I reminded Dr. Ambedkar that he had not complied with your request to explain the difference between the original article and the newly drafted article and the only thing he could say was that I must have read the original article and also the new article except the “commas and semi-colons.” He could not rise above indulging in a coarse joke of this kind. Are we to go on every day adding new articles and breaking our own rules? How can we expect the people to follow the Constitution if we systematically break our own rules? I submit there should be a limit somewhere. There should be some recognised rules and recognised exceptions. I have never quarrelled with your ruling in particular cases that the change is regular. In this case. I submit with all humility, that a new article is sought to be introduced without the usual safeguard of- giving the members clear notice of the exact change. If you allow this amendment I have other serious objections on the merits. but I do not wish to submit them now, At least we should have got some notice. There should have been consultation with Minorities, as Sardar Patel did in a similar context. This is highly unfair.
