Sir, coming from the South, we are very happy that after a prolonged struggle, after a good deal of suffering by the people and after several movements have been conducted by the people’s representatives, Pondicherry has become one with us, though not still according to law. It is gratifying to know that the people of Pondicherry and the surrounding French settlements are very happy about their being reunited with the motherland and it is in the fitness of things that the Government of India has come and asked for sanction of expenditure there. With regard to Pondicherry and other French settlements in the South what the Government of India has been doing and what the Chief Commissioner has been doing have won the approval of all sections of the people. Pondicherry has been going through very, very difficult times and there have been uncertain political conditions for the past so many months and it is really surprising how the law and order situation has been so successfully tackled and how the people after a very long time have been assured of perfect law and order in that area. Pondicherry has been notorious for the disturbances and in the past two months the situation worsened because of lack of cooperation between the Administration and the people and it is after a very long spell of time that the people of Pondicherry are enjoying a stable Government. The Government of the day and the Chief Commissioner have been doing their best to establish perfect and cordial relations between all sections of the people. The Chief Commissioner is also trying to give the people of Pondicherry a perfect democratic set-up. So, it is not true to say that he has been doing things which are not in the interests of the people or which are not conducive to democratic functioning of institutions here. All the political parties which have been openly siding for the merger have been recognised and it is with them that we have to get along till elections are held in Pondicherry, till a final decision is made by the people whether they would be with the Indian Union or not. Till then, the Government of India have done a good thing in nominating people’s representatives to official positions so that there may be better collaboration between the people and the Government. It has also been said that they have provided enough money for carrying out ordinary repairs, and also for medical facilities and other amenities that are necessary to the people of the place. I would like to refute the allegation that the Government have been partial to one political party and are trying to dominate other political parties which also worked for the freedom of the people. The Government have been taking a non-partisan attitude and have recognised the claims of the people. It is the people who have to finally decide and the people’s representatives have been given the recognition. All the political parties which were working for the merger of Pondicherry with the Indian Union have been recognised and the predominant pollical party of the day, which did contribute greatly to the merger movement, has been given recognition and that has the approval of the people. Moreover, it is untrue to say that the police is trying to dominate and is trying to force the people to submit by the use of bayonets and arms. The police is there to protect the people against the onslaught by undesirable elements in the area. So the police are doing a very difficult but a responsible job and the people of Pondicherry have no complaint and most sections in the settlement fully support the move of the Government. Pondicherry will be with us soon and we hope that the people of Pondicherry will vote for the merger of Pondicherry territory with our own. It was said that at Pondicherry and other places certain political parties which worked for the liberation movement have been ignored and that they are being suppressed. It is not so. All the political parties, except the Indian National Congress which was having a branch there, were formerly with the French Government and they did not want freedom. In the past two months, they voted for the merger, actually the DE JURE transfer of power from the French Administration. Today, Pondicherry is able to get along well, with the other sections of the people, and the people have welcomed the merger with great relief. It was the people who were suffering, it was the common man, it was the worker, it was the ordinary people who had to depend on the mainland for the supply of necessities. They were put to a lot of difficulty before and now they have got almost all the necessities of life supplied to them at a very reasonable cost. Now, there is free movement of these essential things and the people of Pondicherry are very happy about it. There was only one section grumbling about in Pondicherry and that is the merchant class. They have made a complaint that with the stopping of licences to import and also due to the cancellation of many import licences, they have been put to a great loss. They have been the worst sufferers because they will have to fulfil their contracts. I would like the hon. Minister to consider this aspect that whether the licences that have been granted by the previous Administration can be held valid, of course, subject to the financial interests of our country, because people also take this opportunity to cheat the Government of India of their legitimate share of taxes and also the import duty. Similarly, there is one irksome feature which has been the subject of many a complaint by the people of Pondicherry, and that is, the customs barriers still exist. There are lots of people who are going to Pondicherry everyday and these people are being put to a lot of customs difficulties. Submit