EXTRACTS FROM THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA (LEGISLATIVE) DEBATES DATED 16 AUGUST, 1948

RESOLUTION RE: INDIAN PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

The Honourable Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Prime Minister and Leader of the House): Sir, I beg to move the following Resolution:-

"This Assembly is of opinion that the Honourable the Speaker be pleased to take steps to form an Indian parliamentary Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in conformity with the aims and objects of the said union."

This Inter-Parliamentary Union was formed some sixty years ago for the purpose of promoting international arbitration and peace. The Union is an association of Parliamentary Groups constituted within the various national Parliaments set up on democratic lines. A group may be formed in each Parliament from amongst the Members of the National Parliament of the Country. There is no particular formality connected with the creation of an Inter-Parliamentary Group and its admission to the Union. A group constitutes itself and announces its membership. The Union is a Federation of National Groups. Each Group within a Parliament draws up its own rules of association and fixes the amount of actual contribution of its members. In its internal working each Group is autonomous subject of course to the limitation that it conducts its work in conformity with the aims of the Union to which it is affiliated.

The aims of the Union are as follows:-

a. To promote personal contacts between Member of the World's Parliaments;
b. To work for the establishment and development of democratic institutions and the advancement of the work of peace and international co-operation;
c. To study and seek solutions for all questions of an international character suitable for settlement by Parliamentary action;
d. To make suggestions for the development of Parliamentary institutions.

There is an Inter-Parliamentary Council on which each Group is represented by two delegates. The Executive Committee of five members supervises the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Bureau, and it is located at Geneva.

This question arises immediately now because a meeting of this Inter-Parliamentary Union will be held fairly soon. An invitation for this has been received by the Honourable the Speaker for this House to send its delegates to the meeting. You, Sir, were good enough to consult me about it and I expressed the view of Government that we would welcome our association with this Union, and that of this House is sending some representatives it will be in the fitness of things if the Honourable the Speaker chose those representatives and not the Government.

I propose therefore that by this Resolution we may empower the Speaker to associate this Assembly with this Union.

Mr. Speaker: Resolution Moved: "This Assembly is of opinion that Honourable the Speaker be pleased to take steps to form an Indian Parliamentary Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in conformity with the aims and objects of the said Union."

Mr. Speaker: The question is: "This Assembly is of opinion that Honourable the Speaker be pleased to take steps to form an Indian Parliamentary Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in conformity with the aims and objects of the said Union."

The Motion was adopted.