772 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
other than war or aggression. Consequently the operative clauses, as I said, are quite different. For instance, when a proclamation of war has been issued under article 275, you get no authority to suspend the provincial constitution. The provincial constitution would continue in operation. The legislature will continue to function and possess the powers which the constitution gives it; the executive will retain its executive power and continue to administer the province in accordance with the law of the province. All that happens under -article 276 is that the Centre also gets concurrent power of legislation and concurrent power of administration. That is what happens under article 276. But when article 278 comes into operation, the situation would he totally different. There will he no legislature in the province, because the legislature would have been suspended. There will be practically no executive authority in the province unless any is left by the proclamation by the President or by Parliament or by the Governor. The two situations are quite different. I think it is essential that we ought to keep the demarcation which we have made by component words of article 275 and article 278. I think mixing the two things up would cause a great deal of confusion.
Pandit Hirday Nath Kunzru (United Provinces : General) : May I ask my honourable Friend to make one point clear ? Is it the purpose of articles 278 and 278-A to enable the Central Government to intervene in provincial affairs for the sake of good government of the provinces ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : No, no. The Centre is not given that authority.
Pandit Hirday Nath Kunzru : Or only when there is such misgovernment in the province as to endanger the public peace ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Only when the government is not carried on in consonance with the provisions laid down for the constitutional government of the provinces. Whether there is good government or not in the province is for the Centre to determine. I am quite clear on the point.
Pandit Hirday Nath Kunzru : What is the meaning exactly of “the provisions of the Constitution” taken as a whole ? The House is entitled to know from the honourable Member what is his idea of the meaning of the phrase ‘in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.’