DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 643
And lastly, Sir, I may mention, if I may, a few words with regard to distant heirs. I feel that the present provisions are a great improvement upon the previous Bill. It has drawn upon certain principles of Dayabhaga and it has also brought in the other systems. And I think, so far as distant heirs are concerned, the Bill as it stands is a great improvement upon the original Bill, and if there is any defect here and there, they can be removed easily.
The chapter on guardianship, maintenance, and the other chapters are conceived in a very liberal and progressive spirit, and I think they deserve the whole-hearted support of the Assembly, though it may be that here and there, they may require some modification, but that can be easily done at a later stage of these procedings. Therefore, in the full confidence that the hon. Law Minister as well as the Prime Minister will be responsive to public criticism, while taking into account the progressive tendencies of the age, I move for the second reading of the Bill and I support the motion moved by the hon. Dr. Ambedkar.
*Dr. P. K. Sen (Bihar : General) : Sir, I am quite conscious that I must be brief, as there is a great pressure upon the time of the House. At the same time there are certain aspects which have been raised, even by my predecessor, my esteemed friend, Shri Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, which do call for some comment. He has followed the order of the Bill, as a matter of fact, and taken the law of marriage first of all. I must confess that I could not exactly follow him as to whether he gave his opinion in favour or against it. As a matter of fact he said in one part of his speech, while dealing with that section, that he had no definite opinion on the subject. So far as the law of marriage and divorce is concerned I do feel that one must be definite. There is no part of law which calls for definiteness more than the law of marriage, because, it affects not only the parties who solemnise the marriage between themselves . . . . . .
Shri Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar : Sir, I do not know if I had made myself clear. What I said was that if we had had a clean state to write on, we might do otherwise but having regard to the previous step taken by this House and the legislation undertaken, there cannot be any serious objection to the portion relating to marriage excepting in regard to one or two matters, which I mentioned in the course of my address.
Dr. P. K. Sen : Except in relation to sacramental marriage. I suppose.
- C. A. (Leg.) D., Vol. VI, Part II, 13th December 1949, pp. 519-27.