DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 739
progressive society here after, in view of all that, I think we cannot do better than take this Bill as the beginning in the right direction.We cannot do better than recognise the provisions it has incorporated, regarding removing all inequalities as between man and woman. It is not merely a matter of recording every five years or every three years one’s vote at the general election. It is also a matter relating to life and work, of equal opportunities to health and education of standard of life and the same fulfilment of the elementary wants of human beings, in the matter of food, shelter and clothing. These should be available, and should be made available if they are not available by the concerted and common action of our society as a whole. Society should realise this obligation that it is not merely a paper proposition that we have enunciated in our Constitution, but it is a sacred duty and obligation that ought to be discharged at the shortest measure of time that we can manage it, that all these things should be made available to every citizen of the country so that the hopes and aspirations that we have formed, so that the hopes that we have entertained ever since the freedom of this country was achieved, could be realised. It has been said by a very great American—President Lincoln, that a nation cannot be half slave and half free. While not exactly Slaves one half of this country, of our community still feel disabilities and weaknesses or invidious discrimination against them, which it does not wish, should be allowed to continue any longer. In this connection may I mention a statistical fact which perhaps is not realised by every person in this House. It is this. While woman is in a majority at birth, on the overall population she is in a very striking minority. Whatever may be the conditions in a province like Utkal, on the whole, in India woman has always been in a minority almost beginning from the age when marriage begins, from about fifteen onwards, their numbers go on thinning so that in the over all population woman was and is still in a minority. What is the significance of that?
[ At this stage Mr. Deputy-Speaker vacated the Chair which was then occupied by Shri S. V. Krishnamoorthy Rao (one of the Panel of Chairmen). ]
I for one think, that is because of the unequal treatment given to women as between boy and girl, as between son and daughter that