416 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
introduced ; a number of subjects, particularly in the matter of marriage and inheritance, which go diametrically against the established notions of the Hindus. Therefore, it is not merely a case of digesting, collating : not also merely a question of amending—because amending is a very mild expression: it does a good deal more than that. It introduces innovations, far-reaching changes, not only in the law of marriage but also in the law of inheritance. Sir, I wish I could explain to the House the full implications of the changes involved. But I am physically unequal to the task. I will try rapidly to explain how I look at these changes.
The two categories of changes which in my opinion and also in the opinion of the vast majority of my countrymen are very radical and sweeping, are those that relate to marriage and inheritance. Sir, my, honourable friend has no doubt provided for sacramental marriage in his Code. I do not know if in this country, up to the moment the Bill was drafted and given the shape it has now had, people really demanded of the Government of the land to prescribe a procedure by which marriages in this country are to be contracted. I think it is nobody’s case that prior to the introduction of this Bill, people had not been marrying or there was a good deal of difficulty in getting ourselves married. But how the question of marriage would be improved I do not know. My fundamental objection to these marriages is, that while on the one hand it characterises one form of marriage as sacramental marriage, inside this sacramental cover there has been introduced a number of things which cannot conceivably be called sacramental or sacred ceremonial marriage. Look at the prohibited degrees. Look at the character of the parties. It can easily be an intercaste marriage, a marriage outside caste, marriage of sagotras, and at the same time it would be sacramental marriage. It is rather curious, Sir, that while a sacramental form of marriage is being prescribed, along side with it there is a civil marriage. I do not know how it finds a place in the Hindu code itself. However, they provided an entirely different thing but a most objectionable thing is that while in the sacramental form of marriage one particular class of prohibited degress is put in, in the civil marriage an entirely different category is put; the ambit of the prohibited degree is narrowed down, so much so that the marriage in many cases becomes purely incestuous marriage. I do not understand, Sir, what necessity was there for this unless we by this measure, want to give direct encouragement to all manner of moral looseness and