Dr Rajendra Prasad and Dr Ambedkar acknowledging the contribution of Sir B N Rau, Constitutional Advisor of Constituent Assembly

 

(26 February 1887 – 30 November 1953)

Dr Rajendra Prasad and Dr Ambedkar acknowledging the contribution of Sir B N Rau, Constitutional Advisor of Constituent Assembly

 CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS) -

VOLUME XI

Friday, the 25th November, 1949

(26 February 1887 – 30 November 1953)

 

The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar -" The credit that is given to me does not really belong to me. It belongs partly to Sir B. N. Rau, the Constitutional Adviser to the Constituent Assembly who prepared a rough draft of the Constitution for the consideration of the Drafting Committee. A partof the credit must go to the members of the Drafting Committee who, as I have said, have sat for 141 days and without whose ingenuity of devise new formulae and capacity to tolerate and to accommodate different points of view, the task of framing the Constitution could not have come to so successful a conclusion. Much greater,

share of the credit must go to Mr. S. N. Mukherjee, the Chief Draftsman of the Constitution. His ability to put the most intricate proposals in the simplest and clearest legal form can rarely be equalled, nor his capacity for hard work "

 

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS) - VOLUME XI

Saturday, the 26th November,1949 

Mr. President-The Honorable  Rajendra Prasad

"The method which the Constituent Assembly adopted in connection with the Constitution was first  to lay down its ‘terms of reference’ as it were in the form of an Objective Resolution which was movedby Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in as inspiring speech and which constitutes now the Preamble to our  Constitution. It then proceeded to appoint a number of committees to deal with different aspects of the Constitutional problem. Dr. Ambedkar mentioned the names of these Committees. Several of these had as their Chairman either Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru or Sardar Patel to whom thus goes the credit for the fundamentals of our Constitution. I have only to add that they all worked in a businesslike manner and produced reports which were considered by the Assembly and their recommendations were adopted as the basis on which the draft of the Constitution had to be prepared. This was done by Mr. B. N. Rau, who brought to bear on his task a detailed knowledge of Constitutions of other countries and an extensive knowledge of the conditions of this country as well  as his own administrative experience. The Assembly then appointed the Drafting Committee which  worked on the original draft prepared by Mr. B. N. Rau and produced the Draft Constitution which was  considered by the Assembly at great length at the second reading stage. As Dr. Ambedkar pointed out, there were not less than 7,635 amendments of which 2,473 amendments were moved. I am  mentioning this only to show that it was not only the Members of the Drafting Committee who were  giving their close attention to the Constitution, but other Members were vigilant and scrutinizing the  Draft in all its details. No wonder, that we had to consider not only each article in the Draft, but

practically every sentence and sometimes, every word in every article. It may interest honourable members to know that the public were taking great interest in its proceedings and I have discovered  that no less than 53,000visitors were admitted to the Visitors gallery during the period when the  Constitution has been under consideration. In the result, the Draft Constitution has increased in size, and by the time it has been passed, it has come to have 395 articles and 8 schedules, instead of the 243 articles and 13 schedules of the original Draft of Mr. B. N. Rau. I do not attach much importance  to the complaint which is sometimes made that it has become too bulky. If the provisions have been  well thought out, the bulk need not disturb the equanimity of our mind."

 

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS) - VOLUME XI

Saturday, the 26th November,1949

Mr. President-The Honorable  Rajendra Prasad

 "I must convey, if you will permit me, my own thanks as well as the thanks of the house to our Constitutional Adviser, Shri B. N. Rau, who worked honorarily all the time that he was here, assisting the Assembly not only with his knowledge and erudition but also enabled the other Members to  perform their duties with thoroughness and intelligence by supplying them with the material on which  they could work. In this he was assisted by his band and research workers and other members of the   staff who worked with zeal and devotion. Tribute has been paid justly to Shri S. N. Mukerjee who has proved of such invaluable help to the Drafting Committee."