পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড).pdf/১৩৩

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড
106

Pakistan can develop itself without guidance and assistance from the Central Government. Apart from getting help from abroad, a strong Central Government alone can, enable one province to share the resources available in the other on such terms as are advantageous to the country as a whole. There are differences between the various states, in India and, as recent events have shown, those differences are sometimes far more serious than those that exist between the two wings of our. country, yet we see that the states in India are willingly working the constitution which gives the Centre far greater powers than what the people eager to have provincial autonomy would agree to. It is significant that, when the undivided Constituent Assembly meet in 1946, it was resolved that there should be autonomous units with a weak Centre but. when once it was announced that there would be partition of the sub-continent, the Constituent Assembly of India decided in favour of a strong Centre. The reason for this was, obviously, the urgent need for economic development which can be effected only by the concentrated effort of a Central Government having full control over the resources of the entire country. We cannot, therefore, with any sense of responsibility, agree with the view that the Centre should have only the three subjects mentioned above.

Suggestions of the Official Delegation

 71. We are unable to accept the suggestion of the official delegation that the Centre should not have a list of subjects on which it could legislate but that the constitution should provide that it can legislate on every subject including those of the Provincial List, as it would aggravate the suspicion and doubt already existing in East Pakistan which, as we have indicated above, it is extremely unwise, if not hazardous, to ignore. Further, such an omnibus power for the Central Government would be unnecessary as in the nature of things, it would interfere in the provincial affairs only when it is absolutely necessary. If such a necessity, to interfere with the powers of a province, arises with regard to any subject in the Provincial List the parliament (which shall consist of two Ilouses) can do so provided two-thirds of members of both the Houses present and voting at a joint session pass a resolution to that effect. It should also be provided that the power so conferred can last only for one year and, if it is to be continued thereafter, there should be a fresh resolution by a similar majority. When it is decided to give the provinces certain powers, it is but fair that the Centre should also restrict its own power and resort to the extraordinary provision referred to above only when it is necessary. As stated already ordinarily the Centre would not find it necessary to legislate on any subject of the Provincial List. If the object of the suggestion is that the appearance of a unitary form of government should be maintained, enough has been said to indicate that such a government is not a practical proposition. In these circumstances, it seems to us extremely imprudent to resort to any scheme which will further increase the suspicion of people in East Pakistan that, as far as possible, the Centre does not wish to give it any freedom of action even in provincial matters. We, therefore, consider that there should be a Federal List containing the subjects in which the Centre alone can legislate, another list of subjects in respect of which both the Centre and the provinces have concurrent powers and a third list of subjects on which the provinces alone can legislate subject, however, to the general provision stated already, of the Centre taking to itself power, through a