426 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
status in respect of inheritance co-equal with the son, it is because she is meant for some other family than her father’s and that the property is to be settled with the persons who will keep up the family, who will maintain the lineage and preserve the sanctity of the family traditions, manners and customs and who will continue the practices and the ceremonies of the family. As soon as a girl is married she becomes integrated into another family ; and according to the Hindu conception the status of a wife in the husband’s family is a most respectable status— far more respectable than the status of the girl in her own father’s house. I will again quote Kalidas’ Shakuntala. When Queen Shakuntala could not be recognised by King Dushyanta, who said: “ I do not remember to have married you.” Thereupon Shakuntala was exhorted by the Rishi to remain in her husband’s House even as a maid as that was a more honourable position than to be in her father’s place.
The Honourable Shri N. V. Gadgil: That is how men behave !
Shri M. Tirumala Rao (Madras : General): He was suffering from loss of memory.
Pandit Lakshini Kanta Maitra : No, he was not suffering from loss of memory. It was because King Dushanata was under a curse by which he was to forget everything connected with his marriage; not that he was guilty of a deliberate moral lapse. Amazing ignorance !
Shri B. N. Munavalli (Bombay States): What an excuse !
Pandit Lakshini Kanta Maitra : I am not the author of Shakuntala. Call it an excuse or whatever you like, I do not mind. But I quoted Shakuntala because its author Kalidas is a world Poet commanding respect all over the world : and notwithstanding all your disparagement of Shakuntala, it will remain the ideal literary master-piece of the world for all time. There ought to be some limit to which disparagement of our national institutions, culture and traditions can be tolerated. Mr. Chairman, I am reminded of a very famous passage in Plato— I cannot recall his words exactly now—but he said, in effect: “Anybody who is false to his nation’s traditions, to his glorious heritage and culture is a traitor and is a person who should be given capital punishment”. I do not understand the patriotism of those, the nationalism of those, who have nothing but contempt and jeer for anything that is their ancient culture and heritage.
Shri H. V. Kamath : You have misunderstood. Nobody is against our ancient cultures.