DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 567
community. According to the well-established custom, every daughter of a family must be present at the time of her brother’s marriage. I may tell honourable Members that there is particular ceremony which must be performed by the sister and her husband before the bride and the bridgroom can enter the house. These are time-honoured customs. We give the daughters a definite position. What will you gain by giving her a share in the family property ? One of the justifications for this reform is that there must be absolute equality between a son and a daughter. May I know is there any equality in fact ? Is it not a sham equality that you are going to assign to the daughter ? The conditions are absolutely different. The daughter has to go in due course to a different family. The son has not to go. These are the conditions inherent in the situation. Therefore, whatever law you make must be suited to the conditions and not in violation of them. If you make a law in violation of these conditions, the society will go to pieces.
Now, what is the percentage of property owners in Hindu society today ? It is a very relevant question because, according to the existing custom not only the father has the moral obligation to arrange for the marriage of his daughter, but even the brother, whether he inherits any property or not, thinks it his moral duty to arrange for the marriage of his sister in the absence of his father.
Shrimati G. Durgabai: Do you think he would not discharge his moral duty if he allows his sister a share ?
Pandit Mukut Bihari Lal Bhargava : The honourable Member is talking of a share while I am talking of a family without property. What will become of the sister in such a family ? You may go to any village or town. You will find cases where the father is dead and the unmarried sister is living with her brother. This brother thinks it his moral duty to arrange for the marriage of his sister and he even borrows money for this purpose. Unless and until he has discharged that sacred trust he never thinks of himself.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : Is the honourable Member likely to finish soon ?
Pandit Mukut Bihari Lal Bhargava: I require one hour more, Sir.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Then the House stands adjourned.
The Assembly then adjourned till a Quarter to Eleven of the Clock on Monday, the 4th April, 1949.