CAB129-37 — Page 506

Page 506

(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)

SECRET

C.P.(49) 224

3RD NOVEMBER, 1949

CABINET

COFY NO.31

INDIA CONSEQUENTIAL LEGISLATION TO DEAL WITH

THE POSITION WHICH WILL ARISE WHEN INDIA BECOMES A REPUBLIC

Memorandum by the Lord Privy Seal

on 29th August (C.M.(49) 54th Conclusions, Minute 4) the Cabinet agreed

2.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

that legislation on the lings indicated in

paragraph 3 of C.P.(49) 181 should be passed before the new Indian Constitution came into operation on 26th January, 1950;

that the Commonwealth Relations Office should be authorised to inform the Government of India of the general lines of this proposed legislation,. should seek to elucidate their attitude on the nationality question and should try to secure their agreement that persons of United Kingdom descent and connection who were qualified and desired to become Indian citizens should be able to do so and at the same time to retain their status as British subjects or as United Kingdon citizens;

that a final decision on the nationality provisions to be included in the proposed legislation should be taken in the light of the outcome of these discussions with the Indian Government;

that the Secretary of State for Commonwealth

Relations, in consultation with the Law Officers, should submit a memorandum on the liability to military service of Indian citizens resident in the United Kingdom.

The memorandum on the liability to military service of Indian citizens in the United Kingdom has been circulated separately as C.P.(49) 218.

3.

An opportunity was taken to discuss with Sir Girja Bajpai, the Secretary for External Affairs in the Government of India, when he accompanied Pandit Nehru on his visit to London in October, the procedure which should be followed to obtain the views of the Government of India. Sir Girja asked that he personally might be given an indication of the main points of principle on which the views of the Government of India were desired in order that he might discuss them with Pandit Nehru in the United States. He offered to interrupt his stay in the United States to return to London early in November for further talk page 45061097an aide memoire sent tPage500 of 1097

tp attached Annex A'): a copy of this

cated

~1~

Page 507-