– ALLEGATION AND RESPONSE BY T. T. KRISHNAMACHARI VS. ALLADI KRISHNASWAMY IYER
On 5th November 1948, at the Constituent Assembly Shri T. T. Krishnamachari [Madras General] spoke as follows;
Shri T. T. Krishnamachari: Mr. President Sir, I am one of those in the House who have listened to Dr. Ambedkar very carefully. I am aware of the amount of work and enthusiasm that he has brought to thereon on the work of drafting this Constitution at the same time, I do realise that that amount of attention that was necessary for the purpose of Drafting Constitution so important to us at this moment has not been given to it by the Drafting Committee. The House is perhaps aware that all the seven members nominated by you; one had resigned from the House and was replaced. One died and was not replaced. One was away in America and his place was not filled-up and another person was engaged in the State Affairs and there was void to that extent, one or two people are far away from Delhi and perhaps reasons of health did not permit them to attend. So it happened ultimately that the burden of drafting this Constitution fell on Dr. Ambedkar and I have no doubt that they are grateful to him for having achieved this task in a manner which is undoubtedly commendable that my point really is that the attention that was due to a matter like this has not been given to it by the Committee as a whole.
On 8th November 1948, the remarks were let by Shri Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer [Madras General] as follows;
Shri Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer: Sir, before making a few remarks on the Draft Constitution, I shall like to join in the tribute of praise to the Honourable Dr. Ambedkar for the lucid and able manner in which he has explained the principles of the Draft Constitution, though I owe it to myself to say that I do not share the views of my Honourable Friend [Dr. Ambedkar] in his general condemnation of village community in India. I must also express my empathic dissent from his observation that democracy in India only a top dressing on Indian soil, the democratic principle was recognised in the various indigenous institutions of the Country going back to the earliest period in her History. Democracy in its modern form comparatively recent even in European History, as its main development are only consequent to the French revolution and to the American war of Independence. Essential elements of democracy as understood and practiced and the present day for even of much later date and have gained currency and universal support during the last war and after its termination.
Before I proceed to make my remark on the Draft Constitution, in view of certain observation of my Honourable Friend Shri TT Krishnamachari at the work of Drafting Committee and the part taken by its members, I owe to myself and to the House to explain my position. As a member of the Committee, in spite of my indifferent health I took a fairly active part in several of its meeting prior to the publication of Draft Constitution and sent up notes and suggestion for the consideration by my colleague even when I was unable to attend the meeting. Subsequent to the publication of the Draft for the reasons of health I could not part in any of it deliberations and I can claim no credit for the suggestion as to the modification of the Draft.”
Comment: I happened to read in a book of mediocre nature wherein a question was raised of the seven members only Dr. Ambedkar was present where were the others [ENGA?] which is an unjust remark?