On 3rd December 1948, Shri S. Nagappa [Madras General] at the Constituent Assembly spoke as follows;
The practice of beggar is prevalent in my own part of the Country especially among the Harijans’ – I am glad that the Drafting Committee has inserted this Clause to abolish beggar. Sir, whenever cattle die, the owner of the cattle wants this poor Harijan to come and remove the dead cattle, remove the skin, tan them and make chappels and supply them free of costs – for this what do they get some food during festival days. Often, Sir, this forced labour is practice even by the Government, for instance, if there is any murder – after the postmortem – the police force this people to remove the dead body and look to the other funeral processes. I am glad that hereafter this sort of forced labour will have no place then. Sir, this practice in Zamindaris also, for instance, if there is a marriage in the Zamindar’s Family – he will ask these poor people especially the Harijan to come and whitewash his whole house for which they will be given nothing except food for the day, this sort of food labour is still prevalent in most parts of the Presidency. Another thing that I want to bring to the notice of this House is that whenever the big Zamindar land are to be ploughed immediately he will send for these poor people – Harijan the previous day all their services were confiscated for the whole of tomorrow they will have to work throughout the day and night, no one should go to any other work, in return the Zamindar will give one morsel of food to these poor fellow – Sir this sort of forced labour is in practice in the 20th Century, our so called Civilized Country, I am very thankful to this Drafting Committee I support this Article [abolition of beggar].
Comment: Is this Country has been freed from all the unbearable imposition of hardships on the Harijan?