Question

“I think it would be extremely dangerous for them if they were segregated from the rest of the community and kept aloof in an air-tight compartment where they would have to rely on others even for the air they breath ... The minorities if they are returned by separate electorates can never have any effective voice.”

Who is the ‘I’ in the lines above?

• A. Vallabhbhai Patel
• B. Rajendra Prasad
• C. Govind Ballabh Pant
• D. Jawaharlal Nehru

Hint:

To distinguish between the speeches of Patel and Pant on this topic: Patel usually used the metaphor of **"Poison"** or a **"Sword,"** while G.B. Pant used the metaphor of **"Air-tight compartments"** and **"Isolation."**

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
During the framing of the Indian Constitution, the debate over "Separate Electorates" for minorities was one of the most intense discussions in the Constituent Assembly.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The quoted text is from a speech delivered by Govind Ballabh Pant in August 1947.
Pant was arguing against the continuation of separate electorates, which had been introduced by the British to divide Indian society.
He believed that separate electorates would isolate minorities and make them permanently dependent on the majority’s goodwill because they would not be part of the unified political process.
He used the metaphor of an "air-tight compartment" to describe the danger of political segregation, suggesting it would ultimately stifle the voice of the minorities it claimed to protect.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The person who spoke these lines is Govind Ballabh Pant.