On 30th April 1947, Mr. B. Das [Orissa General] at the Constituent Assembly spoke as follows;
“I have got the experience of many Afghan Princess in India, these Afghan Princess were punished by the King of Afghanistan and sent to India as State Prisoners. There are some prisoners in India but some of these Princess cannot hold any Office in India and they cannot carry on any business. In, my public career, I met some of these Afghan Princes they have come and told me they were having trouble and they could not get a job even under the old Indian Government, because the Britishers in league with Afghan Government did not allow them to function as the Indian Citizens at all, I want to know whether Indian born Afghan Citizen most of whom are prohibited from going to Afghanistan and they have got to live in India – whether they will be allowed as Indian Citizen to hold Public Office or to be eligible for the same, I want to know whether the Draftsman of this Clause as envisaged such a contingency…”
“There are some Afghan Princes in India are banished by the Afghan Government in league with the British Government of India they are to remain under certain conditions they are the Sons and Grandsons of the Afghan Princes but they are not allowed to get any job in British India, will they be allowed to get jobs in India if the present interpretation of Clause 3 of Citizenship is accepted and they become Citizens of India? Up to now there is a political ban on these people and they cannot hold any office in British India I have dozens of them I would like to know what intention of the Draftsman is in this matter.”
Comment: Freedom struggle within freedom.