238 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
evil. Thus politically we have put ourselves on the right track. And as my friend Mr. Hanumanthaiya has just now said, the credit goes to the Honourable Sardar Patel for giving us political consolidation in the country. After this political consolidation, our next immediate need is to have social consolidation. This Bill will provide this need I am sure, if this Bill is passed into law, marriages will be free. I am a believer in free marriages. Now that India is free marriages must also be free and there should be no restrictions. I am sorry that the Bill has come at a very late stage in our lives: but let us pass this bill for our future generations to practice it. I hope that the country will enjoy the freedom given by this Act. I wholeheartedly support the motion.
Shri Upendranath Barman (West Bengal: General): I also beg to accord my whole hearted support to the Bill and its reference to the Select Committee. In my mind, I am convinced of one thing. The circumstance that stands in the way of our national sense is the caste barrier. So long as it lasts, the different sections of the Hindu community and other non-Muslim communities cannot unite together and imbibe a sense of nationality in its true sense. So long as one knows that he cannot marry his son or daughter with the son or daughter of his neighbour, the true sense that they are one cannot come. I think that by passing this measure that barrier will be won. It is the sense of kinship that is the real basis of national sense and I wholeheartedly support this Bill and I hope that it will be passed into law as soon as possible.
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Minister for Law): With regard to this Bill, there cannot be any difference of opinion between myself and my honourable friend the mover for the simple reason that the Bill is merely a part of the Hindu Code which I am sponsoring. My only objection to the Bill is that the Legislature having accepted the principle that the Hindu Law ought to be codified, it is wrong now to proceed piece-meal with the legislation. I have no objection, as I said, to the principles underlying the Bill. In fact those are the very principles which are embodied in the Hindu Code and therefore what I will suggest to my honourable friend is that either he should withdraw this Bill or postpone the consideration of the Bill so that we may know exactly what happens to the Hindu Code.
I am afraid having regard to the fact that, I am sponsoring the Hindu Code and having regard to the fact that there being the motion