700 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
treated to that kind of pressure. We are urged to accept it under duress. They fail to see, however, what complications are bound to arise later on.
Hence, I want to say. kindly find out a middle course. Only a middle course would give satisfaction to us and to society and cause the unrest to subside. Just as Pataskarji observed to day we are already up against a number of difficulties. Why create another big one at this juncture? Why plant another thorny bush and thereby spoil the path rendering extra labour necessary later on for its clearance? Why should you act in that manner? Kindly attend to some other task and let this one be postponed for a year or two. I should like to suggest to my sister— veritable goddesses as they are—to those of them who have welcomed this measure that in the interests of the country, they should take upon themselves to go to our Jawaharlalji and appeal to him that this means my be held up for one or two years. This would help in many ways. But as it is, their line of thought is that if this Bill is not passed now or at any rate in 1950, it may never be passed, because those who come hereafter would not allow it to be passed. But let me tell you that even if you pass it to day you should know what is going to happen later on. Such a type of people will come in to fill these seats who will say, ‘ As our very first duty let us set right this Hindu code that has been enacted’. Hence. I beg you kindly to prevent this if you can. If however, you cannot do that then, my advice is : ‘Not to the left, not to the right, come in the middle; find out the golden mean. This alone can satisfy the community.
Secondly, I wish to refer to what Dr. Ambedkar said in reply to a point of order raised by Mr. Sarwate to which, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, you also added your support, viz., that this Bill is going to be applicable to the provinces only and that if it is sought to be made applicable to the States it will be sent to them, it will be circulated, before it is decided what is to be done about it. Dr. Ambedkar made the following observation :
“When the occasion comes for the extension of the bill to the Indian states, no doubt this Legislature, when a proper motion is placed before it, or the Government of the day will take note of their wishes and intentions and the States which have come into the Indian Union will be consulted.”
If this is the position then what is passed to-day will be sent to the States after six months and by the time the states enforce it you will have gone still further ahead. The States’ people who are already somewhat backward, will be left even further behind. You should