“Carry on! But Remember. . .!!”
Anna’s Rajya Sabha Speech
25.01.1963
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

. . . . . .

Finally, Madam Deputy Chairman, I should infor the Hon. Member, Shri Sri Rama Reddy - he said I am having a defective logic or somethin like that -

Mr. N.SRI RAMA REDDY:
Misleading logic.

Mr. C.N.ANNADURAI:
I think that no Member should alow himself to be misled, and I am not capable of misleading anybody. I thought perhaps my logic itself was misleading because I am very anxious to have logic in its pristine purity. But as to the criticism that I am misleading, I am not strong as that, to mislead people.

Mr. PANNALAL SARAOGI:
Madam Deputy Chairman, the Hlon. Member has been misleading the people of his State. That is why this Bill is going to be passed.

An HON. MEMBER:
The fear is that you will mislead the people . . .

MR. AKBAR ALI KHAN:
On communal grounds (Interruptions).

THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:
Yes, Mr. Annadurai, you please finish. He said that you are misleading the people of your State and that is why this legislation is necessary.

MR. PANNALAL SARAGOGI:
People are being awayed by your arousing their sentiments and passions and that is why this Bill is being enacted.

THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:
They are afraid they may be awayed also.

MR. C.N.ANNADURAI:
Madam Deputy Chairman the statement discouts the ability and capacity of Congress in Madras.

MR. SANTOSH KUMAR BASU:
On the question of force I would like to ask one question. My friend has said. “Do not use force. Passing of this law would mean - well - use of force in enforcing your ideas. Has the DMK altogether refrained from resorting to force or people who are supporters of that course? Have you always refrained from using force?

MR. C.N.ANNADURAI:
Certainly. We have made problamations many times that we are a strictly constitutional party.

MR.SANTOSH KUMAR BASU:
In spite of that railway stations have been burnt or at least the signboards at railway stations.

MR. C.N.ANNADURAI:
Not stations - but the constitution. My hon.friend is mistaking the actitivities of the DK for DMK’s. That is why the whole trouble. I may inform the House this, that at least by this measure you can make the DMK not contest the elections byt the DK is a party which is not contesting elections and therefore this measure is not going to affect them.

MR. SANTOSH KUMAR BASU:
We are not concerned with the DK or the DMK. We are concerned with the law which may be applicable to all.

MR. A.B.VAJPAYEE:
But the DK is an ally of this Congress Party, I believe.

MR. C.N.ANNADURAI:
That is for the Congress Party to consider. My point, Madam Deputy Chairman, is this: I appeal to the members of the ruling party to suggest to their Government that a measure of this sort is unnecessary, is undemocratic, and it cuts at the very roots of fundamental rights. I am not referring to the Fundamental Rights in the Constitution but to the fundamental rights of Congressmen. They are not made a party to this issue. They are asked to stand aside. The measure says, “Annadurai should be counteracted. you have failed in that. let me come in.” This is a sort of passing a vote of no-confidence against the ability and capacity of the Congressmen of Madras, for whom I have the greatest respect.You seem to minimise their importance. That is my trouble. You seem to feel that they are incapapable of counteracting this. This is the tragic situation, and therefore it is that I would request the members of the ruling party to suggest to the Government, “Here we are, stalwarts, to fight any fissiparaous tendencies. leave us to look after Annadurai, such a small, puny figure. A mere look, an emphatic word, is enough to scotch that fellow.” Say that to your party, to your Government, and withdraw this Bill because if it enters into the statute book, it means not only now but for all time to come, that a situation arose in India wherein the Government of India had to bring forward an amendment to the Constitution to counteract a small group or, to borrow a phrase from my friend Mr Bhupesh Gupta, to counteract a single solitary man.

MR. BHUPESH GUPTA:
No, No, I did not say that.

MR. AKBAR ALI KHAN:
I can assure Mr. Annadurai that is not meant only against one single individual or a single party. It is against all secessionist tendencies, whether it is in Punjab or whether it is in Madras, or whether it is in any other part of the country keeping in view our experience of communal tendencies and communal passions during the last thirty years.

MR. BHUPESH GUPTA:
Madam, Deputy Chairman, I never called him single and solitary, because he has somehow or other, put the fear of God into the Congress - with his party. I know that.

MR. C.N.ANNADURAI:
I am borrowing his pharase with thatnks, not with condemnation.
As for the Hon. Mr. Akbar Ali Khan’s remark, I can very well understand the hesitancy with which he is putting that argument, but I would say this, that the bill is aimed at not only the DMK but at others also. My point is I am concerned with the Party to which I belong. If there are other representatives who may be talking equally in this way or if there are representatives of this ideal who are submerged that ideal for their selfish ends, I am not concerned with them. My point is to present the point of view of the DMK: it may be aimed at others also. But if you look at the dailies, weeklies and if you go to hear speeches from political platforms, they will be pointing out only the despicable DMK, not others. Therefore, since you pinpoint the DMK, I have answerved some of the criticisms.

Finally, I would appeal to the sponsor of this motion to drop it in the name of democracy, in the name of political decency, in the name of having abiding faith in the ability of the people to eschew evil. And if he is not able to free himself from the temptation completely, let me at least request him to defer consideration of this measure till the period of stresses and strains is over during which time we should bot be discussing about controversial measures; controversies should be kept in the background. And if the sponsor of the measure is not able to comply even with that request, Madam Deputy Chairman, please allow me to register my protest against the ruling party’s methods, moves and measures.

My point, Madam Deputy Chairman, is this: I appeal to the members of the ruling party to suggest to their Government that a measure of this sort is unnecessary, is undemocratic, and it cuts at the very roots of fundamental rights. I am not referring to the Fundamental Rights in the Constitution but to the fundamental rights of Congressmen. They are not made a party to this issue.

They are asked to stand aside. The measure says, “Annadurai should be counteracted. you have failed in that. let me come in.” This is a sort of passing a vote of no-confidence against the ability and capacity of the Congressmen of Madras, for whom I have the greatest respect.You seem to minimise their importance. That is my trouble. You seem to feel that they are incapapable of counteracting this. This is the tragic situation, and therefore it is that I would request the members of the ruling party to suggest to the Government, “Here we are, stalwarts, to fight any fissiparaous tendencies. leave us to look after Annadurai, such a small, puny figure. A mere look, an emphatic word, is enough to scotch that fellow.” Say that to your party, to your Government, and withdraw this Bill because if it enters into the statute book, it means not only now but for all time to come, that a situation arose in India wherein the Government of India had to bring forward an amendment to the Constitution to counteract a small group or, to borrow a phrase from my friend Mr Bhupesh Gupta, to counteract a single solitary man.

I would say this, that the bill is aimed at not only the DMK but at others also. My point is I am concerned with the Party to which I belong. If there are other representatives who may be talking equally in this way or if there are representatives of this ideal who are submerged that ideal for their selfish ends, I am not concerned with them. My point is to present the point of view of the DMK: it may be aimed at others also. But if you look at the dailies, weeklies and if you go to hear speeches from political platforms, they will be pointing out only the despicable DMK, not others. Therefore, since you pinpoint the DMK, I have answerved some of the criticisms.

Finally, I would appeal to the sponsor of this motion to drop it in the name of democracy, in the name of political decency, in the name of having abiding faith in the ability of the people to eschew evil. and if he is not able to free himself from the temptation completely, let me at least request him to defer consideration of this measure till the period of stresses and strains is over: controversies should be kept in the background. And if the sponsor of the measure is not able to comply even with that request, Madam Deputy Chairman, please allow me to register my protest against the ruling party’s methods, moves and measures.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

முகப்பு | இலக்கியம் | அரசியல் | வரலாறு | புகைப்படங்கள் | பேரவை | தொடர்புகொள்ள