Yesterday we heard rather curious speeches from two of the stalwarts of provincial autonomy. One was from Maulana Hasrat Mohani and the other from Shri K. Santhanam. Mr. Santhanam spoke rather bitterly and very vehemently about the powers that are proposed to be given to the Centre under this scheme of the Union Powers Committee Report. But if we analyse the lists that have been appended to it we will find that there are very few subjects to which even a protagonist of Mr. Santhanam’s type–a protagonist of the revolution or decentralisation scheme–could take exception to. As a result of my analysis I have come to the conclusion that for the Federal List, subjects from items 1–10 cover Defence activities in various shapes and forms, and I do not know if there is anybody who can taken exception to it; e.g., the defence of the territories of the Federation and every part thereof, and all preparations for defence, as well as all such activities as may be conducive in times of war to its successful prosecution and after its termination to demobilization. So on one in this House can take objection to this sort of activity on the part of the Centre. As I said, in items 1–10 there are enumerated various items which cover more or less the defence responsibility of the Centre, and I do not know if any body would take any exception to it.
