Mr. President, Sir, my object in speaking on this new article 271-A is just to point out the difference that exists between the wording that is found in the marginal note and the wording that is found in the article itself. The wording in the marginal note is : “all lands, minerals and other things of value lying within territorial waters vest in the Union“. This implies that all things of value lying within territorial waters belong to the Union. So, every thing of value, suspended even if it were within the territorial waters, are properties of the Union according to the marginal note; but what do we find in the article? There the wording is different. It says : “all lands, minerals and other things of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters of India shall vest in the Union.” My understanding of the words “underlying the ocean within the territorial waters” connotes altogether a different meaning from “things of value lying within territorial waters.” Things of value underlying the ocean mean things left underneath the earth of the ocean and so the meaning is restricted. The things of value are restricted by the use of the words “underlying the ocean” whereas it is more wide when we say “things of value lying within territorial waters.” I want to bring the words of the marginal note quite in agreement with the words that are found in the article; otherwise it might lead to complication in the future.
