be obvious, practical difficulties. The question of finance is an all important question. How difficult it will be for the Government to transfer all the paraphernalia necessary for holding a session there, I do not know. There may be a good deal of difficulty so far as that is concerned. On the other hand, I see that if a session is desirable to be held at Dacca, the President has always got the authority under this rule to give direction to that effect. I, would, therefore, think that even without this amendment the purpose that the Honorable the mover has in view can be very well served, if the president is convinced about the practicability and feasibility of holding a session there. I, therefore, think that this amendment is not very necessary.
Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah (East Bengal: Muslim):
Sir, I do not think that the practical difficulties of members traveling from Western Pakistan to Eastern Pakistan could be greater than that of the Eastern Pakistanis coming to the West, for their number is greater.
As regards administration and accommodation, I am not suggesting any remote village in Eastern Pakistan but Dacca which, I presume has got sufficient arrangements to accommodate the House. Anyway, I think the psychological benefit for outweighs the practical difficulties. A feeling is growing among the Eastern Pakistanis that Eastern Pakistan is being neglected and treated merely as a “colony" of West Pakistan. We must do everything possible to eradicate this feeling. This narrow provincialism must be stated. Justified or unjustified, we must not give any province a chance of feeling that it is neglected. I have lived many years with the Western Pakistanis and I feel that they are grossly ignorant of the people of Eastern Pakistan. I, therefore, think that at least once a year a meeting should be held in Eastern Pakistan. At the moment, we are faced with far too many difficulties. So let there be a meeting of this House only in Western Pakistan now; later on when it becomes the Legislature only then let it meet at least once a year in Dacca.
