DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 301
Renuka Ray and other lady members who are sitting in this House represent the women; or those sisters who sit in the visitor’s galleries represent them. I admit that those who are not present here, those who do not come in the visitor’s galleries can represent this country better than those who are sitting here. We shall have to admit that the allegation which is being made today that some high-caste people want to thrust their opinion upon the low-castes is not correct. But in reality the position is that the ten per cent, educated people want to thrust their opinion upon the remaining 90 per cent. Without knowing anything as to what is the will of the people in this country, they should not thrust their opinion upon them. I do not want that any legislation should be passed in this House which is against the wishes of the people.
Shrimati Renuka Ray : Do 90 per cent, of the people know that you are drawing up a constitution ?
Seth Govind Dast : We know that the people are with us. To talk as if this is your own concern is not correct. We have come with a mandate from the people in that respect.
The other thing which has been mentioned here is in regard to ‘Succession’. It has been stated that we are required to carry out drastic reforms in the law relating to Succession. I agree that there is a great scope of reforms being made in the Succession System. And I also admit that it would amount to the greatest possible injustice being done to the females if they are not conferred upon the right of succession and thus precluded from inheriting the property. The women should be given the right of succession. Now the question arises as to what extent should such right of succession be vested in the females. The Honourable Dr. Ambedkar has in support of this quoted from the Smritis of Manu and Yagnavalkya and pointed out that these Smritis also confer upon the females the right to inherit property to the extent of one fourth. I would like to say that in my opinion some improvement should necessarily be made in the domain of succession even if these are the views held by Manu and Yagnavalkya. There was a time when the matriarchal system existed in this country or even in the world. But in the present day society, the matriarchal system has been replaced by the partriarchal. So long as the matriarchal system existed in this country as well as in the world and the husband used to come and stay at the bride’s house after marriage, it was quite appropriate that the daughter should have