z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-09.indd MK SJ+DK 21-9-2013 699
EVIDENCE : RAJKUMARI AMRIT KAUR AND MRS. HAMID ALI 699
Mrs. Hamid Ali : The Mussulman never has an objection to taking his wife’s name. As Sir Hari puts it, there is a certain feeling of delicacy, but I have never known any feeling of difficulty among Muslims to take their wives’ names. It is true the women do not take their husband’s name frequently, but they do it occasionally.
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : It is in Hindu households, where the husband may object to taking the wife’s name.
C342. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I thought the point of the question raised by Sir Hari Singh Gour was not whether there was some mental objection on the part of the Hindu husband or the Muhammadan husband to give utterance to the name of his wife. I thought the point of the question was : Which one of the two, or anyone, would object to the sort of enquiry that a registration officer will have to make ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : I do not understand what sort of enquiry the registration officer have to make.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It will be, “Have you a wife ; if you have a wife, what is her name ?”
Sir Hari Singh Gour : And “How many wives have you got ?”
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Who would object to the sort of enquiry that will have to be made by the registration officer is the point of the question.
Marquess of Lothian : “Is she over 21” ?
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is the sort of question.
C343. Chairman : The witness might care to interpose an answer now. Will you answer Dr. Ambedkar’s suggestion, if you have any views ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : Yes ; I can only say that I do not think anybody will have any objection to a question like that. I cannot understand the mentality that even prefers a question of this nature. It seems to me wholly incomprehensible.
C344. Chairman : Do you agree with that answer, Mrs. Hamid Ali ? Do you agree that there will be no difficulty ?
Mrs. Hamid Ali : I think it will depend on the way and the tone, in which a question like this is put. Ordinarily a question like that asked in good faith and with no evil intention would not be taken amiss by anybody at all.
C346. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I want to ask (Mrs. Hamid Ali) one more question. You come from Bombay. You know that there are certain distinct wards which are exclusively Musselman quarters. From your experience do you really think it is possible for an election officer to enter these wards and make these enquiries ?
Mrs. Hamid Ali : As far as Bombay is concerned, yes. I do not think anybody would take objection in Bombay, because in Bombay we have municipal elections so often and people are trained to this kind of thing.