-2- B. Provision shall be made, no act out below, for the participation of the Indian States in the constitution-making body. C. His Majesty's Government undertakes to accept and implement forthwith the Constitution so framed, subject only to: (l) The right of any province of British India that is not prepared to accept the new constitution to retain its present constitutional position, provision being made for its subsequent accession if it so decides. With such non-acceding Provinces, should they so desire, His Majesty's Government will be prepared to agree upon a new constitution giving them the same full status as Indian Union and arrived at by a procedure analogous to that here laid down. (2) The signing of a treaty, which shall be negotiated between His Majesty's Government and the constitution-making body. This treaty will cover all necessary matters arising out of the complete transfer of responsibility from British to Indian hands; it will make provision, in accordance with undertakings given by His Majesty's Government, for the protection of racial end religious minorities; but will not impose any restriction on the power of the Indian Union to decide in future its relationship to the other member states of the British Commonwealths. Whether or not an Indian State elects to adhere to the |