New Delhi, Apr 14 (PTI) India’s first prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had acknowledged that some people were surprised when he invited BR Ambedkar to join the Cabinet as it was thought that his “normal activities were of the opposition type rather than of the governmental type”.

Nehru, however, felt that Ambedkar played a very constructive role in Constitution making and could continue to do so in governmental activities.

In his tribute in the Lok Sabha on Ambedkar’s passing away on December 6, 1956, Nehru said Ambedkar is often spoken of as one of the architects of our Constitution and “there is no doubt that no one took greater care and trouble over Constitution making” than him.

Addressing the Lok Sabha on the day he passed away, Nehru said the way Ambedkar will be remembered most will be “as a symbol of the revolt against all the oppressive features of Hindu society”.

Ambedkar, India’s first law minister from August 1947 to October 1951, resigned from the Cabinet because the Hindu Code Bill was not taken up for consideration and passing as one Bill. Ultimately it got taken up and passed as four different Bills during 1955-58.

“I have to convey to the House the sad news of the death of Dr Ambedkar. Only two days ago, I believe, the day before yesterday, he was present in the other House of which he was a Member. The news, therefore, of his death today came as a shock to all of us who had no inkling of such a thing happening so soon,” Nehru said.

“Dr Ambedkar, as every Member of this House knows, played a very important part in the making of the Constitution of India, subsequently in the Legislative part of the Constituent Assembly and later in the Provisional Parliament.

“After that, he was not a Member of Parliament for some time. Then, he came back to the Rajya Sabha of which he was a sitting Member,” he said.

He is often spoken of as one of the architects of our Constitution, Nehru said and asserted that there is no doubt that no one took greater care and trouble over Constitution making than Ambedkar.

He will be remembered also for the great interest he took and the trouble he took over the question of Hindu Law reform, India’s first prime minister said.

“I am happy that he saw that reform in a very large measure carried out, perhaps not in the form of that monumental tome that he had himself drafted, but in separate bits. But, I imagine that the way he will be remembered most will be as a symbol of the revolt against all the oppressive features of Hindu society,” Nehru said.

The then-prime minister further said Ambedkar used language sometimes which hurt people and he sometimes said things that were perhaps not wholly justified.

“But, let us forget that. The main thing was that he rebelled against something against which all ought to rebel and we have, in fact, rebelled in various degrees. This Parliament itself represents in the legislation which it has framed, its repudiation of those customs or legacies from the past which kept down a large section of our people from enjoying their normal rights,” he said.

“When I think of Dr Ambedkar, many things come to my mind, because he was a highly controversial figure. He was not a person of soft speech. But, behind all that was this powerful reaction and an act of rebellion against something that repressed our society for so long.

“Fortunately, that rebellion had the support, not perhaps in the exact way he wanted it, but in a large measure, the principle underlying that rebellion had the support of Parliament, and, I believe, every group and party represented here,” he said.

“Both in our public activities and in our legislative activities, we did our utmost to remove that stigma on Hindu society. One cannot remove it completely by law, because custom is more deep-rooted and, I am afraid, it still continues in many parts of the country even though it may be considered illegal. That is true. But, I have no doubt that it is something that is in its last stages and may take a little time to vanish away,” Nehru said, paying rich tributes to Ambedkar for his contribution to public life.

Ambedkar became prominent in his own way and a most prominent symbol of that rebellion, Nehru said.

“I have no doubt that, whether we agree with him or not in many matters, that perseverance, that persistence and that, if I may use the word, sometimes, virulence of his opposition to all this did keep the people’s mind awake and did not allow them to become complacent about matters which could not be forgotten, and helped in rousing up those groups in our country which had suffered for so long in the past,” Nehru said.

It is, therefore, sad that such a prominent champion of the oppressed and depressed in India and one who took such an important part in our activities, has passed away, he said.

“As the House knows, he was a minister, a member of our Cabinet, for many years, and I had the privilege of cooperating with him in our governmental work. I had heard of him and, of course, met him previously on various occasions. But, I had not come into any intimate contact with him. It was at the time of the Constituent Assembly that I got to know him a little better.

“I invited him to join the government. Some people were surprised that I should do so because it was thought that his normal activities were of the opposition type rather than of the governmental type. Nevertheless, I felt at that time that he had played an important and very constructive role in the making of the Constitution and that he could continue to play a constructive role in governmental activities. Indeed, he did,” Nehru said.

“In spite of some minor differences here and there, chiefly, if I may say so, not due to any matters of principle, but rather linguistic matters and language used, we cooperated in the government for several years to our mutual advantage, I think,” Nehru added.

Anyhow, a very leading and prominent personality, who has left his mark in our public affairs and on the Indian scene, has passed away, the then prime minister had said in the Lower House.

Throwing light on Ambedkar being invited to join Nehru’s Cabinet is another letter that Nehru wrote to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on July 30, 1947.

“I have spoken to Ambedkar and he has agreed? He said the law would not give him enough work. I told him he need not worry about that. There will be plenty of work of many kinds to do. I have also spoken to Rafi and he has agreed. Now you have to approach Syama Prasad and Rajaji and Shanmukham,” Nehru had said in his letter to Patel. PTI ASK RHL