284 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
I have set to myself a very limited task. It is to examine the scheme in the light of certain accepted tests and to place before you the results of this examination so that you may be in a position to form your own judgment regarding the merits of the scheme. It is true that I cannot altogether avoid setting out the outlines of the scheme. In fact, I am going to give an outline of the scheme. I realize that it is an essential preliminary without which my criticism might remain high up in the air. But the outline I am going to draw for my purpose will be the briefest and just enough to enable you to follow what I shall be saying regarding the merits of the scheme.
II
BIRTH AND GROWTH OF INDIAN FEDERATION
There are five countries which are known in modern times to have adopted the federal form of Government. They are : (1) U.S.A.,
(2) Switzerland, (3) Imperial Germany, (4) Canada and (5) Australia. To these five it is now proposed to add the sixth which is the All-India Federation.
What are the constituent units of this Federation ? For an answer to this question refer to section 5. It says:
“5. (1) It shall be lawful for His Majesty, if an address in that behalf has Proclamation been presented to him by each House of Parliament and if of Federation the condition hereinafter mentioned is satisfied, to declare of India by Proclamation that as from the day therein appointed there shall be united in a Federation under the Crown, by the name of the Federation of India,—
( a ) The Provinces hereinafter called Governors’ Provinces ; and
( b ) the Indian States which have acceded or may thereafter accede to the Federation ; and in the Federation so established there shall be included the Provinces hereinafter called Chief Commissioners’ Provinces.
(2) The condition referred to is that, States—
( a ) the Rulers whereof will, in accordance with the provision contained in Part II of the First Schedule to this Act be entitled to choose not less than fifty-two members of the Council of State ; and
( b ) the aggregate population whereof, as ascertained in accordance with the said provisions, amounts to at least one-half of the total population of States, as so ascertained, have acceded to the Federation.”
Leaving aside the conditions prescribed by this Section for the inauguration of the Federation it is clear that the Units of the Federation are (1) The Governors’ Provinces, (2) Chief Commissioners’ Provinces and
(3) The Indian States.