810 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Shri B. M. Gupta (Bombay : General) : Was the permit system brought in on 19th July 1948 ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Yes, on the 19th July ‘48 there was an ordinance passed that no person shall come in unless he has a permit, and certain rules were framed by the Government of India under that, on 19th July 1948, whereby they said a permit may be issued to any person coming from Pakistan to India specifically saying that he is entitled to come in. There are three kinds of permits. Temporary Permit, Permanent Permit and permit for resettlement or permanent return. It is only the last category of persons who have been permitted to come back with the express object of resettlement and permanent return, it is only those persons who are proposed to be included in this article, and no other.
Mr. President : I think we shall take up the amendments tomorrow.
- Mr . President : I do not think any useful purpose will be served by further speeches. The amendments are all there before the Members ; they are free to vote in favour of any amendment they like.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Bombay : General) : Mr. President. Sir, it has not been possible for me to note down every point that has been made by those who have criticised the draft articles which I have moved. I do not think it is necessary to pursue every line of criticism. It is enough if I take the more substantial points and meet them.
My Friend, Dr. Deshmukh, said that by the draft articles we had made our citizenship a very cheap one. I should have though that if he was aware of the rules which govern the law of citizenship, he would have realised that our citizenship is no cheaper than would have been made by laws laid down by other countries.
With regard to the point that has been made by my Friend Prof. K. T. Shah that there ought to be positive prohibition in these articles limiting Parliament’s authority to make law under article 6 not to give citizenship to the residents of those countries who deny citizenship to Indians resident there, I think that is a matter which might well be left for Parliament to decide in accordance with the circumstances as and when they may arise.
- CAD, Vol. IX, dated 12th August 1049, pp. 422-24.