Now, Sir, if, as has been conceded, it is very necessary in view of the new status that India has acquired in the International World that this country should speak with one voice at those Conferences and Associations and if it is also agreed that India should be a party to any decisions arrived thereat, it is to my mind important that steps should be taken by India as a whole for the implementation of such decisions. Ordinarily speaking, I agree with Sardar Panikkar’s argument that the Federal Legislature should trace its powers of legislation in respect of matters decided at those Conferences only to specific entries in either the Federal list or the Concurrent List. That is so, but we have got to remember that we go to those Conferences not on behalf of the Federation as distinguished from the Units of the Federation. We go to those Conferences as representing India as a whole, i.e. the Federation and the Units combined, and, if we are empowered to subscribe to the decisions arrived at those Conferences, it is only right that we should be in a position to implement those decisions which we agree to at those Conferences. It is on use our assenting to such decisions and coming back home to find that we at the Centre are unable to implement them, but have to remit those decisions to the various Units for the purpose of arriving at their own decisions in regard to such matters and either implementing those decisions or refraining from implementing them. Now, Sir, that would put India as a country in the International World, in a very awkward position. There is of course the fact that, when we do reach decisions at those Conferences, those decisions are of varying degrees of importance. At many of those Conferences, only pious decisions are arrived at, but at others human freedoms are declared and so on. It would be difficult for us to attempt implementing every one of the resolutions that may be adopted at those Conferences; but what does this item really mean? It does not mean that every decision that is arrived at those Conferences is necessarily to be implemented by legislation. It only means that, if it is decided that those decisions should be implemented, the Federation should have power to legislate about them. That is about all. Therefore, Sir, looking at it from that point of view, it seems to me that, if the House agrees to legislation for participation in such Conferences, it should also agree to its having power to implement such decisions as deserve implementation.
