610 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
they are given a greater share. I want only to place before the house a few things in connection with some possible difficulties which may arise in future whenever such a problem comes up. At present girls enjoy a status in the Hindu Society which none else enjoys. Consciously or unconsciously we have tampered with the social regulations for the worse and now have to bring up this Bill as a repenting and a compensating measure. This is certainly our misfortune. Despite this I will assert that there is much scope left for reformation. To me no Hindu father can ever desire to mete out a prejudiced treatment to his daughter, rather he wishes to give away more and more to her.
Babu Ramnarayan Singh (Bihar : General): It is correct to a large extent.
Shri Ram Sahai : He wishes to marry her in the house of a man placed better than himself. Not to speak of the father only, I am in a position to assert that even no Hindu brother can desire not to marry his sister in a more fortunate family. There may be found an exception in thousands or lacs of cases. But I think that such an instance is almost non-existent. I fail to understand why then the issue of parity between sons and daughters in the matter of inheritance is made to confront us. I say so as we have before us the quarrels among the brothers over the division of property in the middle-class of our people. The daughter is given her share in the other family. But should she think of having a share in his father’s property also; in my opinion it is certain to lead to disruption in our social structure. Out of this consideration I have come before the House to make these observations. In my opinion such a course is bound to impair the affection between a brother and sister to some extent. When disruption is possible among the brothers with a common family-link over the division of property, surely more serious quarrels will arise with daughter living in a different family. When such quarrels can arise among brothers who have a common bond of love in between themselves, there shall be none in the house where the daughter goes who can maintain that affectionate regard. There shall be, on the contrary, persons who will incite and thus pave way for litigation. I don’t at all follow why we should take recourse to a thing having full consciousness of its being pregnant with possibilities of disruption of our social structure.
Likewise I would like to say something as regards the the Hindu joint family. We have recognised to set up co-operative societies and invite people’s co-operation to spread this idea in the country. Why