940 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
exercised whether to permit partially or prohibit completely is a matter for each legislature, which we must leave to the legislature.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : My submission is that it is relevant. The amendment provides for “regulation and control of prostitution.”...
Shri V. I. Muniswamy Pillay (Madras : General): I wish to speak, Sir.
Mr. President: Closure has been moved. The question is :
“That the question be now put”.
The motion was adopted.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Sir, there is enough power given to the State under these entries to regulate these matters, namely, either for dealing with public houses or having some largescale farming. If my Friend, Dr. Deshmukh were to refer to List II, entry 1, which deals with public order, and entry 4 which deals with police and the Concurrent entry which deals with criminal law, he will find that there is more than enough power given to regulate these matters. If he were to refer to entry 24 dealing with land, entry 21 dealing with agriculture in the State List, he will find that there is more than enough power in the States to have state farms or whatever they like.
Therefore, the only question that remains, is this, whether this subject relating to the creation of farms and the regulation of public houses should be in the Concurrent List. In my judgement, the criterion to decide whether this matter should be in the Concurrent List or in the State List is whether these matters are of all-India concern or of purely local concern. In my judgement prostitution, the regulation of public houses, and creation of farms are matters of local concern and it is therefore better to leave them to be dealt with by the States. They have got more than enough power for that. I do not know how the Centre can do the job. The Centre has not got any agricultural land. If the Centre wants to establish a farm, the Centre has to acquire the property from the farmers. The same thing could be done by the State. I do not see what purpose would be served by having these entries in the Concurrent List; and it must also be remembered that our States which we call States are far bigger than many States in Europe.
Shrimati G. Durgabai: Will Dr. Ambedkar make one point clear? The entry speaks of regulation or prohibition of prostitution. I do not understand the meaning of “regulation” here, and I think it should be complete prohibition.