414 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
manufactured within the State and the goods imported from outside the State. Now, I am sure he will agree that that is a very limited law. It certainly does not take away the right of trade and commerce and intercourse throughout India which is required to be free.
Shri C. Subramaniam : The clause says that it shall be lawful for any State to impose by law such reasonable restrictions on the freedom of trade, commerce or intercourse... as may be required in the public interests.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes, but reasonable restrictions do not mean that the restrictions can be such as to altogether destroy the freedom and equality of trade. It does not mean that at all.
Sir, I therefore, submit that the article as it stands is perfectly in order and I commend it to the House.
Article 16 was adopted and added to the Constitution.
ARTICLE 17
- Mr. Vice-President : Now we come to article 17.
The motion before the House is that article 17 form part of the Constitution.
There are a number of amendments to this article, and they will be gone through now. The first in my list is No. 543. It is a negative one and is therefore ruled out.
There is an amendment to this amendment, that is No. 93 in List V, standing in the name of Shri Ram Chandra Upadhyaya.
(Interruption by Mr. Kamath).
† The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Mr. Vice-President, I should like to state at the outset what amendments I am prepared to accept and what, I am afraid, I cannot accept. Of the amendments that have been moved, the only amendment which I am prepared to accept is the amendment by Prof. K. T. Shah, No. 559, which introduces the word “only” in clause (2) of article 17 after the words “discrimination on the ground”. The rest of the amendments, I am afraid, I cannot accept. With regard to the amendments which, as I said, I cannot accept one is by Prof. K. T. Shah introducing the word ‘devadasis’ ! Now
*CAD, Vol. VII, 3rd December 1948. p. 803.
† Ibid., pp. 812-13.