Sir, I am grateful to you for your indulgence in permitting me to say a few words in regard to this matter. There is hardly anyone in this House who does not feel rather strongly on this question of salt. Quite apart from the economic implications involved in this matter, salt, at one time in our national history, in the history of our struggle for freedom, became the word of power which moved large masses of human beings and brought about a strange, revolution in the country in the courses of a few months. Therefore, whenever this question comes up, naturally, we are moved not only by the immediate exigencies, of the situation but also by its past history. So, I suppose it is because of this that at one time the Drafting Committee, or some committee, put in this article in our Constitution. As I said all of us must necessarily feel a great deal of sympathy for their outlook. Nevertheless, when we gave thought to this matter, careful thought-because we are building something for the future and it would be wrong to do something which might come in the way of the national good of the future-we felt that, if we put this clause in as it was it would certainly come in our way. For instance, as it is drafted, it would obviously prevent us even from dealing with foreign salt which may be dumped into this country.
