The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 250
234 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN this country you would say that is where democracy takes over, but I do not like those aspects of democracy. Question : Well, can. . . Zafrulla : I can mention one instance where I might have been persuaded if I had not been sitting at my desk here at that time and I had been present in the Assembly. You will probably recall, two years ago, when the Foreign Minister of South Africa, Loew, made a speech, which was resented, and Ambassador Cooper of Liberia first made the motion that the speech be expunged from the record, and then the luncheon adjournment intervened and he withdrew that motion, but then moved a censure against the Foreign Minister of South Africa. Our two delegates who were then present in the Plenary, one after the other, came to the telephone and tried to persuade me to let them vote in support of the motion and I said no. I said, "However much we resent the policies of South Africa - we shall condemn them and we shall fight them and shall tear his reasoning to shreds - I cannot accept that he is not entitled to put his case emphatically, whatever case he has to put, and that that should become a reason for either expunging his speech or censuring him. "But they say he has been insulting. " I said, "In the first place, in assemblies like this a great deal of latitude should properly be allowed; people should be able to say things, we should not be too thin-skinned. Secondly, tell me, what is it that he has said which is insulting?" They came in relays. "Well," one said, "he has said the standard of living, for instance, of the indigenous people in South Africa is much higher than the standard of living in many of the countries of Africa which are now independent and sovereign. " I said, "That may well be true with regard to some of the countries. I have not studied the matter, so I cannot say. But if it is untrue, go and say that it is untrue instead of saying that he must be censured for saying it. " Then the last thing was that one of them rushed up: "A roll-call vote has been called and everybody is saying yes!" I said, "That's no reason for us to say yes. " But I confess that if I had been there myself, I might perhaps also have said, yes.