DRAFT CONSTITUTION 327
(ii) that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good ;
(iii) that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment;
(iv) that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women :............”
There are some other items more or less in the same strain. What I would like to ask Professor Shah is this : If these directive principles to which I have drawn attention are not socialistic in their direction and in their content, I fail to understand what more socialism can be.
Therefore my submission is that these socialist principles are already embodied in our Constitution and it is unnecessary to accept this amendment.
[The amendment of Prof. K. T. Shah as under was put to vote.]
*Mr. Vice-President : The question is :
“That in clause (1) of Article 1 after the words ‘shall be a’ the words ‘Secular, Federal, Socialist’ be inserted.”
The motion was negatived.
Mr. Vice-President: I want to make one thing clear. After the reply has been given by Dr. Ambedkar, I shall not permit any further discussion. I have made a mistake once. I am not going to repeat it. ( Laughter ).
Mahboob Ali Baig Sahib Bahadur (Madras : Muslim) : Mr. VicePresident, Sir, I move :
“That in clause (1) of article 1, for the word ‘States’ the word ‘provinces’ be substituted.”
You, Sir. will remember that when Dr. Ambedkar moved the motion for the consideration of this Draft Constitution, when he was dealing with the form of Government, he stated that...............
Mr. Vice-President : We do not want a discussion of this nature. I appeal to the Honourable Member to speak only if he has something new to say.
*Mahboob Ali Baig Sahib Bahadur : If Dr. Ambedkar says that the word “Union” was used not with any great significance, there is no reason why we should not use the correct word “Federation”, but if on the other hand the word “Union” was used with a purpose so that in course of time this federal form of government may be converted into a unitary form of government, then it is for this House now to
*CAD, Vol. VII, 15th November 1948, p. 403.
†CAD, (Official Report). Vol. VIII, 15th November 1948, p. 404.