I thank you very much for allowing me to move my amendments. I may say that these amendments are conceived with one purpose. Sir, the existence of the scheduled tribes and the Scheduled areas are a stigma on our nation just as the existence of untouchability is a stigma on the Hindu religion. That these brethren of ours are still in such a sub-human state of existence is something, for which we should be ashamed. Of course, all these years this country was a slave of the British, but still we cannot be free from blame. I therefore think Sir, that these scheduled tribes and areas must as soon as possible become a thing of the past. They must come up to the level of the rest of the population and must be developed to the fullest extent. I only want that these scheduled tribes and scheduled areas should be developed so quickly that they may become indistinguishable from the rest of the Indian population and that this responsibility should be thrown on the Union Government and on the Parliament. Of course the States’ Governors and Rajpramukhs will have to do their work but I want that the responsibility for their welfare, and their advancement must be laid on the Central Government only. Therefore my amendments only pertain to putting the President of the Parliament in place of the Governor/Ruler wherever these words occur. I move: “That in amendment No. 20 of List I (Seventh Week), in sub-paragraph (3) of Paragraph 4, and in sub-paragraph 5 of the proposed Fifth Schedule, for the words ‘Governor or Ruler’ the words ‘President in consultation with the Governor or Ruler’ be substituted.”
