230 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
But that is beside the point here. If sub-division and sub-caste is the same, then I am sorry to have used the word “sub-caste” here. The marriage between the members of the sub-divisions of the principal caste have already been legalised. In regard to the rest, for instance, if persons belonging to different religions and different castes want to marry, my humble submission is that according to the present law such marriages are not legal. At present, public opinion clearly demands that this must go and the marriage between persons of different faiths as well as of different castes should be made legal. At present there are many young men and women who want to marry beyond their castes. So far as public opinion goes, I am on sure ground that we are a solid rock of foundation for this measure.
Taking it from a national standpoint, may I humbly submit to the House that to resolve the present friction between Hindus and Sikhs in the Punjab and to make them one solidified people if hundred girls of Sikhs and Hindus were married to hundred boys of Hindus and Sikhs, the whole trouble would have gone. In fact, I believe that if the Hindus and Muslims had married with each other, this Pakistan would not have been brought about. If we adopt this inter-marriage as a system among ourselves, I am prefectly sure that all the bitterness between the castes and the bitterness between persons of different faiths would go away. I do not understand why we should not adopt this measure. It may be said that the true principles of Hindus Dharm stand in our way, we are not well advised in adopting contrary measures. May I humbly submit that the first sloka in Mahabaratha begins in this manner that because there are not many Kshatriyas in the land, therefore some Brahmins may be brought and asked to procreate Kshatriyas. All our religion and our Vedic lore do tell us that among Hindus such marriages were not infrequent. As a matter of fact, before the caste system became stereotyped, it can very well be imagined that there was no prohibition among the Hindus for intermarriage so far as caste was concerned. Therefore taking it from the radical point of view, I should understand that there is no special difficulty with regard to this measure.
But all the same, the point that I wish to make is that it is an enabling measure. It does not force any person to marry outside his caste. If a person so wishes, if a young man and a woman are so minded, if their parents are so minded, all I want is that the couple should be enabled to marry and their offsprings should be legitimate.