Mr. President, Sir, the first amendment that stands in my name is amendment No. 5 in the First List, Third Week which relates to the definition of citizenship subsequent to the date of the commencement of this Constitution. In view of the explanation which Dr. Ambedkar gave yesterday that his intention was to confine the definition of citizenship only at the date of the commencement of this Constitution and more particularly in view of your advice that we should confine our remarks only to this aspect of the question, I should not venture to move this amendment. But, Sir, I find that the Draft which has been moved by Dr. Ambedkar is not a provisional Draft, but it is of such a limited nature that it does not make any provision for the acquisition of the right of citizenship subsequent to the date of the commencement of this Constitution even up to the period that Parliament may make any law in this respect. I, therefore, suggest to Dr. Ambedkar to seriously consider whether it would not be advisable to accept the suggestion contained in this amendment. The suggestion reads like this :
“That in amendment No. 1 above, in the proposed article 5 –
after the words ‘at the commencement of this Constitution’ the words ‘and thereafter’ be inserted;
and
In clause (a) after the word ‘was’ the words ‘or is’ be inserted;
or alternatively, that with reference to amendment No. 1 the following new article be inserted as 5-D:-
‘After the date of the commencement of this Constitution, every person who Possesses the qualifications mentioned in article 5 of this Constitution shall, subject to the provisions of any law that may be made by Parliament be a citizen of India provided that he has not voluntarily acquired the citizenship of any foreign State.’ “