724 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
should not be made dependent. Some of my friends have been painting glowing pictures of the love which the brother has for the sister and how they take great efforts for the marriage of the sister. Quite true some people do it, many do it, but we know of cases also to the contrary where the brothers, particularly the brother’s wife corners the whole thing and very little is left by way of dowry to the sister particularly if she is going into a family which is not very strong and has not got much influence in the village. So, we must make provision for that also. May I say that there is considerable authority in the Shastras also for that. Some say her share should be one -fourth, some say equal, some say it should be one-half. I am not for half. Following the Mohammedan law : she must be given full.
Shri B. L. Sondhi (East Punjab : General): For how long will the unmarried girl continue to enjoy the property?
Dr. Bakhshi Tek Chand : Once property is vested, it vests and there is no question of divesting it. After all it won’t create much disturbance in the family. We must make some provision; we can see that adjustments are made later on.
A word regarding the Chapter relating to marriage and the Chapter on divorce. My objection to this portion of the Bill is a very simple one. The first part of the Chapter deals with monogamy and I am a wholehearted supporter of the provision that every Hindu should marry once only and not more than that. The majority of our people do that.
Shri H. V. Kamath : Once or not at all.
Dr. Bakhshi Tek Chand : All the arguments that there is no son etc., are of no use. Where is the guarantee that if you marry three wives one after another, one of them will produce a son? It is all a matter of chance. Therefore that is an argument which does not appeal to me in the least. As a matter of fact and as a matter of practice the large majority of Hindus have only one wife and I see no reason why that provision should not be put in here.
Shri Lakshminaran Sahu : In Utkal there is an excess of three lakhs of women. If you start talking of one for one, I should like to know where would you provide for the three lakh extras ?
Dr. Bakhshi Tek Chand : Here again religion has been brought in. In Baroda, in 1931 the Monogamy and Divorce Bill was passed by a legislature 95 per cent of the members of which were Hindus, under the aegis of a Maharaja who was an orthodox Hindu. For nineteen