DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 495
Bill, because they were assured that no substantial changes had been made. I would ask Dr. Bakhshi Tek Chand whether his attention was drawn by the Department or Dr. Ambedkar to these things. These large omissions and transpositions of places would not have been noticed by any Member unless he goes through the laborious process of comparing the two like a laborious lawyer.
Dr. Bakhshi Tek Chand (East Punjab : General): I would like to draw the attention of my honourable friend to page 9 of the report where my note of Dissent is printed. I have given there some of the substantial changes, at any rate changes which I considered to be substantial—and because of which I had suggested that the Bill should be recirculated for eliciting public opinion or in any case recommitted to the Select Committee. At page 9 the broad points on which changes had been introduced in the redrafted Bill, have been mentioned though not in such great detail as the honourable Member is doing today in his speech. It is not correct to say that no member of the Select Committee noticed them. Of course nobody had the industry or the patience which the honourable Member has, but the matter did not escape their attention. As he has mentioned my name I feel it my duty to bring this fact to the notice of the House. In the Note of Dissent I have referred to the changes to the order of inheritance which I considered to be substantial, and in regard to which I am in entire agreement with my honourable friend.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : I am extremely grateful for this clarification, A respected Member with the highest judical experience thinks that these are substantial changes and he thought that they were so substantial that the Bill should be recirculated. That is the thing which I am asking for. There is at least one Member of the Select Committee who thought the changes to be substantial. He noticed them, but was his attention specifically drawn to them ?
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava (East Punjab: General): Mr. Balkrishna Sharma has also signed it.
An Honourable Member : He has had no judical experience.
Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra : He has had social experience.
Mr. Naziruddin Ahmad : Pandit Balkrishna Sharma is also of the same opinion. It is however enough to quote the name of Dr. Tek Chand. His authority and position will not be seriously enhanced by the addition of any other names. These respected Members felt