Madhusudan_Das

96 Madhusudan Das :
members of the Assembly will raise objection." I said, "If you once do
an irregular thing for the cause of women, it will not hurt any one but
give satisfaction to Indian women and you yourself will feel pleasure,
so why not try to be irregular for once only. As regards the Assembly
members if they raise objection you with the privilege of the Chair can
make them sit down by saying 'Order, order." He said, "What about the
Home Member." I said "I will see him too, but please do not disappoint
me." He was most reluctant —but I pressed him hard— at last he said,
that he would do his best for me. I said " Please do allow Dr. Gour to
move his amendment." The Assembly bell was ringing. Members were
one after the other going to their seats. I did not know them but when
I asked them not to raise objection on Dr. Gour's amendment, most of
them promised to help me. I saw the then Home Member, Sir William
Vincent. After wishing me good morning, he told Dr. Gour that the
amendment was out of order. I asked Sir William to help us. He said
" I being Home Member, I cannot sit silent over it, I must raise an
objection." I said "Please help Dr. Gour to move his amendment and if
you are to say anything against it, please say that Government will
consider it if Dr. Gour will withdraw the amendment." He promised to
help me— we went and I sat in the distinguished visitors gallery.
Newspapers readers of 1922 who had followed the proceedings of
the Legislative Assembly must have wondered why Dr. H.S.Gour raised
the question of the amendment of the Legal Practitioners Act in a
resolution on the removal of sex disqualification and how Sir Federic
Whyte, that most strict of Presidents of the Assembly allowed such an
irregularity to pass even when some objected to that amendment. The
then Home Member after a mild protest promised that the Government
would consider the amendment if Dr. Gour will withdraw the
amendment, which Dr. Gour did. I felt proud of my achievement and
every one wondered at this incident in the Assembly. Not satisfied with
this I saw the Home Member next day and requested him to bring a Bill
for the amendment of the Legal Practitioners Act. He was very much
amused, saving "Do you know what happened last night." I said
"Nothing serious I believe." He laughed and said "It was serious to the
President and me. We were dinning with H.E. the Viceroy, and he
wished to know what happened to both of us that we allowed such an
irregular amendment to come up before the Assembly. Now we could
not very well say that we were influenced by a woman, we kept silent;