DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 577
to inherit will be the husband and children equally. If there is no husband or children, then who are the persons under the Bill who will be entitled to inherit the property. There are mother, father and husband’s relations. May I ask humbly and respectfully every honourable Member of this house whether there is any father or mother in this land of Hindus who will relish property from his or her daughter?
Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathi: Why not ? What is the harm ?
Pandit Mukut Bihari Lal Bhargava : Perhaps my honourable friend comes not from India but from an outside country.
Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathi: I come from South of India.
Pandit Mukut Bihari Lal Bhargava : In India no father or mother will ever think of receiving anything from the daughter.
Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathii: That may be so in the Punjab.
Pandit Mukut Bihari Lal Bhargava : It is so in the whole of Northern India. I cannot speak with authority about South India. But so far as Northern India is concerned the very idea is repulsive. Of course there is an exception to this rule among those who count money and property over every thing else. To them dharma is no matter of their concern. But I am not talking of those exceptions : I am talking of the ordinary father or mother in Northern India. Their souls will revolt at the thought of accepting anything from their daughter. In kanya dan when a father and mother sitting together give their daughter to the bridegroom as also dowry and ornaments, after that in our part of the country, the mother or father will not even take water in the house of the daughter.
Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathi: It is not so bad in our part of the country.
Pandit Mukut Bihari Lal Bhargava: That might be a custom or usage prevalent in your part of the country but in my part of the country, an overwhelming majority will be opposed to the idea. They cannot even imagine receiving any inheritance from the daughter. Therefore the entire fabric of the rules of devolution is based on antiHindu ideals. If Mr. Bharathi takes the trouble to go into the rural parts in my part of the country he will be surprised to find, let alone the father or mother, even the inhabitants of a village will not drink water in another village into which the daughter of their village is married.