350 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
given in marriage for mere consideration or any other material gain. That is the basis. There are many people who would not even go to the village
where the daughter is married. We must recognise facts as they are; it is no use saying that they do not know. It is quite possible that they do not
know. It will happen that the father-in-law would get property bequeathed by the lady. That will be an intolerable position. Supposing a lady does not
leave a husband and children and neither a father nor a mother, what happens ? This is a crucial point. The property has been inherited by the
lady from the father. The property, in the absence of husband, children, father or mother will not go to the son of her father. Let me put position
clearly. The property belongs to A’s family, The property will not go to A’s family, the brother of the woman, the real brother made of the same flesh
and blood, but the property will go to hundreds of people of the husband’s family of the list that you have given here. Since the woman is dead, leaving
no husband and children, father and mother, in that case, the property is not inherited by her brother or brother’s son or others, but it goes to the family of the husband. Why is it so. Because your Select Committee have
not been able to shake themselves from the considerations which have been influencing the entire community for a very long time. ( Shri L. Krishnaswami
Bharati: “What is the present position ?”) We are not concerned with that. You know the present position very well. It is stridhana ; it is not inherited
by the daughter ; the position is different. I was submitting, the property of one family is not inherited by the brother of the lady, but it goes to other
people. This is a position which I cannot understand. But, you must realise that this is the position. You may remedy it; I beg of you to remedy it.
This is a question on which you will be well advised to review. This is one of the points which I submit for your consideration. I will leave this question
of succession at this ; there are many other considerations which could be placed before you.
Then, I come to the power of disposal. I quite understand the very great hardships when there were restricted rights in regard to women’s
property. So far as the joint family is concerned, it is sought to be crushed under this Bill. The joint family is mouldering away ; it is crumbling.
From a very long time, certain circumstances have so arranged the fate of the joint Hindu family that it cannot survive. Sir, I do not
want to shed tears over its going away. The Income-tax Act is the greatest monster in killing this joint Hindu family. I know that