DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 655
of society in which such women could not possibly exist. They must always be the ministering angles of the men-folk, that is to say, looking after their physical comforts and welfare, and do nothing so far as their higher aims and aspirations are concerned. But they have a function to fulfill in society. In the society of independent India, women have a very large place to fill in every organisation, in every movement. That being so, we must set them free and there is nothing that is wanted more than economic freedom. (Hear, hear). There are many
cases in which lives are blasted because they have got to be dependent upon some male member of the family for their very existence. Therefore, the question of their economic freedom has a place in the affairs of today.
Let us not be absolutely oblivious of that fact. If we want to give economic freedom, then there is no reason whatsoever why
3 P . M . we should turn away and say : “Oh a daughter, she cannot have a share, she will remain a ministering angel of the family” by which it is meant that she will always be a dependent there ; and if she is a widow, she will be only looking after the comforts of other people and
will not be able to do any other service to the family or to the society or to the nation at large. Well, Sir, I do not propose to go further, because it will take a very long time and I know that I shall then be trespassing upon the time of others. But a good deal has been said, a great deal of discussion has taken place upon the fundamentals. When I contemplate all these discussions that have taken place, I am firmly convinced that if after this debate, we can sit around a table and we can bring ourselves to consider all these details in a spirit of perfect goodwill and understanding, we shall be able to attain a solution. The minor points that trouble us are many, it may be, but their solution is not so difficult. It is the fundamentals upon which we have to concentrate our attention and when we do so, I think our path is clear.
*Shrimati Kamala Chaudhari (U. P. General): (English translation of the Hindi speech) Sir, before I say a few words in connection with the Hindu Code Bill, I should like to congratulate the hon. Dr. Ambedkar for bringing forth this Bill. My own feeling is that this Bill has been brought up before this House in conformity with the spirit of time. This is absolutely in accord with the march of the time
*C.A. (Leg.) D., Vol. VI, Part II, 13th December 1949, pp. 535-40.