710 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
ARTICLE 271
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Sir, I move :
“That in article 271 —
(i) the words ‘for the purposes of the Government of that State’ in the two places where they occur, be omitted;
(ii) the words ‘for the purposes of the Government of India’, in the two places where they occur, be omitted.”
[Amendment was carried. Article 271, as amended was added to the Constitution.]
NEW ARTICLE 271-A
†The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Sir, I beg to move :
“That the following new article be added after article 271—
All lands, minerals and other 271-A. All lands minerals and other things things of value lying within of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters vest in the territorial waters of India shall vest in the Union. Union and be held for the purposes of Union’.” This is a very important article. We are going to have intergrated into the territory of India several States which are for the time being maritime States and it may be quite possible for such States to raise the issue that anything underlying the ocean within the territorial waters of such States will vest in them. In order to negative any such contention being raised hereafter it is necessary to incorporate this article.
‡Shri H. V. Kamath : ...Then again, the article says “All lands, minerals and other things of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters of India “. In Schedule I we have defined the States and the territories of India. But nowhere in this Constitution have we defined what the ‘Indian territorial waters ‘are. The Constitution is silent on this point.
Mr. President : It is a well-understood expression in International Law.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is unnecessary to define it separately.
#Shri H. V. Kamath : I hope Dr. Ambedkar will clarify the position before the House proceeds to vote on this article.
*CAD, Vol. VIII, 15th .Tune 1949, p. 886.
† Ibid., p . 887.
‡ Ibid., p. 887.