14 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
simply throwing away by way of relaxation the rigid customs of age and of society. They did not like it because the spirit of reform is always
destructive of their own power. In the encouraging of reform themselves they saw the dangers to their rule and the missionary saw at once that he was encouraging a certain amount of rebellious spirit in the nation. Now Brahmoism was looked upon as the saving factor in this country, but Brahmoism was thereupon condemned by the missionary because it provided a hailing house for the reform spirit of the nation. Thus the
misssionary himself became conservative. Englishmen became conservative, custom became rigid, society became petrified and congealed and coagulated, as it were, in a chamber which was not wide or expansive,
thus, we have suffered, so much so that the issue of a post-puberty marriage in the Punjab was declared illegitimate by the High Court. This was the last straw that broke the back of progressive society.
Immediately, there was an attempt to break the bones of custom, by trying to reform the marriage law. Act 3 of 1870, popularly known as the Brahmo Marriage Act, required, however, a certain denial statement,
“I repudiate that I am a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian or a Parsee or a Jain or a Jew.” This obnoxious declaration was associated with the provisions of that Act. Therefore, it did not become popular. Later on the Sarda Act came into being; fortunately it has set the seal of authority upon that piece of social reform which the heads of orthodoxy were imposing and were impeding. A new era has begun. The Indian National
Congress which had started in 1885 had till 1919 associated with it as an ancillary and an auxiliary a social reform organisation which dealt with the social evils of the country and suggested various legislative
measures also. But there was a non willingness on the part of the British Government to effect those legislative changes and as time progressed there was also an unwillingness on the part of society to accept the social
reform at the hands of foreigners in this country.
Fortunately, Sir, today we have survived those times, I am glad I am alive to see the age when on the initiative of the National
Government a progressive measure of reform, comprehensive in outlook, far-reaching in its result, medical in its nature, is being put forward, which embraces the rights of women in regard to inheritance,
in regard to marriage, in regard to property, in regard to divorce, in