In the beginning of the debate, Mr. President Dr.

Rajendra Prasad pointed out to the fact that

members shouldnt make controversial remarks as made by Mr. Churchill and Vicsount Simon
calling the body calling out that only one major community was being represented in the house.
Mr. Prasad then read out the facts and figures as to how many members from each community
actually visited the session and regretted the absence of the Muslim league there, while at the
same time maintaining that all other communities had their presence in the session.
Mr. Prasad also talked about the discrepancy on the paragraph 20 of the Cabinet Missions
statement of May 16, 1946, as published in India and the printed pamphlet circulated by the
Assembly Office. He got the matter investigated and after consultations with the Principal
Information Officer of the Government of India, it was found out that thr statement as published
in India underwent some small altercations at the hands of the Cabinet Delegation before being
presented to the Parliament. The complaint was that whereas the statement published in the India
originally referred to full representation of the interests affected, their reprint referred only to due
representation. Mr. Prasad however feels that these discrepancies are merely verbal and no
material difference was introduced.
SHRI SATYANARAYAN SINHA (BIHAR, GENERAL)
Shri Satyanaran Sinha moved his motion that the Assembly proceeds to elect 11 members, other
than the President himself, in the Steering Committee. He also suggested that the Assembly
should elect 8 additional members, of whom four will be reserved for election from among the
representatives of the Indian States. In this, the President will be an ex-officio member of the
steering committee and WW1 will be the ex officio Chairman whereas the Secretary of the
Assembly shall be the ex officio secretary of the Steering Committee. He also listed out the
various duties of the committee.
His motion was seconded by Shri Mohanla Saxena (United Provinces, General).
SHRI S RADHAKRISHNAN (UNITED PROVINCES, GENERAL)
Shri S Radhakrishnan moved his motion regarding the discussion by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
during the last session. Stressing upon the fact that declaration of complete sovereignty was
necessary, he indulged upon the reasons and objectives behind it. He mentioned that there should
be no second opinion about the fact that India should be an Indian Soverign Republic and should
not come under the British Common Wealth because of the mere fact that India doesnt feel a
part of it and that India will be exploited again by being in it. He mentioned that depending on
the attitude of the Great Britain, India will still try to maintain a voluntary cooperation and find
out ways of mutual collaboration in matters of trade, defence and culture as a good will.
He mentioned that a republican India wont mean the abolition of Princely rule. Princes may
continue as long as they are constitutional and work for the greater good of the people of the
states. He was also against the division of India on the basis of religion and pointed put various
examples as to how different regions are willing to unite instead of divide. For adequate
safeguard measures of the minorities, force of law was demanded.

MR. N.V. GADGIL (BOMBAY: GENERAL)
While supporting the resolution, Mt. Gadgil asserted the fact that they are not mere drafters but a
council who are serious about the actions. He mentioned that the independence will be for the
general masses who toiled hard in poverty and no one will have any objections against this
resolution including the Muslim Legaue because there is nothing to object to. He also asserted
the fact that having one big India will give economic freedom to the people of India and for this
economic freedom, a major crunch of the production has to be owned by the State and a lesser
portion by the private organisations. He believed in the two kinds of sanctions. Under the moral
sanction, the constitution should be fair to everyone and the physical sanction states that the
people should be determined to see to it that the type of government they choose, stays. He was
quite clear that the British people need to go or else the revolution will continue and the British
government will be left with nothing.
About the problems of the minorities, he said it was a problem created by the foreign power and
in India, under an Indian government, everyone will be equal. In his words, Nobody has ever
succeeded in preventing the coming together of the waters of Jumna and Ganges beyond
Allahabad; because there the three streams Ganges, Jumna and Saraswati join and after
that nobody can distinguish the waters -of Jumna from the waters of Ganges.
MRS. VIJAYALAKSHMI PANDIT (UNITED PROVINCES: GENERAL)
Mrs. Vijaylakshmi dwells on the good things that will come out of an independent India. She
feels that a free India can not only assume leadership of Asia but also of the world. This makes
drawing up the constitution of India a duty not only towards the Indians but also the whole
world. She also pointed out the fact that India is the only Asiatic that has stood for democracy
and stood the test of time. The minorities will be taken care of by the government and they
wouldnt need to look at others for solution. A free India can be a power for the forces of
progress and contribute substantially in maintaining peace and security in the world. No nation
can exist half slave and half free as said by a famous American and hence India needs
complete freedom of herself economically and socially and then she can contribute in freeing
others.
PROF. N.G. RANGA (MADRAS: GENERAL)
Prof. Ranga extends his support to the resolution while saying at the same time that there is
ground for some improvement. Supporting the resolution, he marks that this is the only
resolution where it is pointed out that the people can bring it to the notice of the government if
they are not happy with a law and they can protest it as long as they remain constitutional.
He also invites the other parties to join them and be present in the assembly to discuss the
resolution instead of downright boycotting it or going to the Britishers. He specially voices it to
the Muslim league saying that the poor masses of the country comprises of the Muslim people
mostly and they need the independence of India for their prosperity and hence the Muslim
League should support the Indian National Congress in this resolution. At the same time, he
makes it clear that even if they dont support the INC, they will go ahead with the resolution and
independence because thats the right thing to do.
He also says that the reforms which are being talked about on paper should actually reach the
people and benefit them because inspite of many facilities for people, the poor and oppressed are
not aware of them and hence cannot or are not allowed to take advantage of the facilities.
He says that all the talks of minorities based on religion make no sense because the main
minorities are the tribal people who are being oppressed and being overthrown from their own
lands. The masses are the real minorities and still they want this freedom and hence this quest for
independence should be supported by all the parties fully. He calls out to Mr. Jinnah and says the
longer he delays this independence, the longer it will take for the oppressed masses to have some
relief.

DR. P.K SEN (BIHAR: GENERAL)
Dr. Sen again voiced his support for the resolution that is the independence of India and a
sovereign status for the country. He puts emphasis on the fact that all sections of the people want
this independence and denoting the Mulsim league as the Invisible We says that they are very
much a part of the assembly and their voice is equally important.

SHRI S NAGAPPA (MADRAS: GENERAL)
While voicing his support for passing of the resolution, Shri Nagappa is vocal about the absence
of the Mulsim League and is hurt by the fact that instead of working for the almost achievable
independence, they are approaching the British Govt and not working with the INC. In his
speech, he hurtingly calls them more Arabs than Indians, more Persian and more Turks than
Indians for not supporting the common noble cause of one united Independent India. It seemed
Shri Nagappa was speaking for the Dravidian people of India as he says they have been
oppressed since the time they were invaded by the Aryans. He now wants an equal representation
in the Govt for them. He says if a minority is not supporting the cause of independence, they
should go out of the country. He asks the chair to be firm with this cause as everyone cannot be
satisified if the greater good has to be achieved.
He wants equality to prevail in real and wants every word of the resolution to translate into
action.

MR JAGAT NARAYAN LAL
Mr. Lal, while supporting the resolution, delivers some strict words to the British govt. to bring
about all its methods of diplomacy to make this constitutent assembly a success by combining
their efforts with those of the Indians. He gives various examples of other countries where the
constitution was framed and evolved peacefully such as South Africa, Canada and also some
which involved wars like America and Ireland. He treats this resolution as pledge to to bring an
independent India into being.
SHRI ALGURAI SHASTRI
Shri Shastri shows happiness at the prospect of complete independence of India and feels
privileged to be a part of the Assembly discussing it. He coins the term prevelant till then, i.e
British India, as unfortunate and wants all provinces outside the British dominance to unite into
one India too. He calls out to bring Pondicherry, Goa, Daman and Diu as well As Nepal, Bhutan
and Sikkim under one unified India.
He recites the Rig veda as All human beings are equal and asserts the fact that it is wished to
eliminate all class distinction existing then. He puts emphasis on the fact that they want a state
strong in military power and where there is no discrimination between the ruler and the ruled. He
makes it a point to speak in Hindi because he wants the souls of Bahadur Shah Zafar, Prithviraj
Chahuhan, Jayasi and Sanukta to decipher what he is saying.
He feels that the original resolution is acceptable in all forms and should be passed without fail.
He also adds that their determination and ambition in making a prosperous and free India have
risen and would not be cowed down by the British imperialism and the call for a complete
sovereign India will continue until it is achieved.