720 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
still in force. My friend Mr. Santhanam may take another view. But it is there. Yet it is there and has a hold on some people, whatever might their proportion. All other principles of Hindu law such as survivorship, succession, the son having a share you are abolishing. What is the necessity? The necessity is to enable the daughter to get a share. I therefore submit that parts 5, 6 and 7 of the Bill introduce drastic changes in the Hindu family system and give the minimum benefit in its present from to the females.
I would therefore ask the supporters of the Bill whether it is necessary to push the Bill to a final vote at this stage either tomorrow or in the next session. Is it not desirable to give the matter more consideration and to see whether there is any other way of securing full benefit to the female members of a joint Hindu family, whether they are governed by Mitakshara or Dayabhaga and at the same time causing the least disturbance to the systems that prevail in various parts of the country.
I have made my submissions both to the orthodox and reformer friends. I have to make only one suggestion. I have not worked out the scheme in my mind, it will take a lot of time. But I shall place before the House the broad outlines of it. And I will ask Dr. Ambedkar, I will ask the other legal Members, I will ask the reforming Members, I will ask the orthodox Members to see whether that is not an alternative worth considering. In fact, up to this morning I was hesitating to speak on the subject and my view was to place it before the Committee which, it has been promised, will be meeting shortly and I had intended if I am a member of that Committee to place it there. But when I was called upon to speak to day I thought the best course was to place it before the House. My suggestion is this.
What is our objective? Our objective is to give to the female members of our family full right in the property. What we should do therefore is this. Do not disturb the joint family. Do not overrule the law of survivorship. Let them continue as they are as long as they can. But a woman, as soon as she is married, should in the Mitakshara family become a full co-parcener in that property. At present she is a member of a joint family but not a member of the co-parcenary. I will ask hon. Members to permit me for three minutes just to place my proposal before them and then to consider it. Any interruption on that point will not help. It is only a proposal for your consideration, for the consideration of the Committee and for the