DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 751
One of the previous speakers— I think it is Mr. Pataskar—made a reference to Section 44 of the New Constitution which relates to a uniform civil code for the whole country. He pleaded and asked: “Why not withdraw this Hindu Code and have a Civil Code? It may sound like pleading for postponing the day of mischief. But why does not Government come out with a statement of policy on this question? Is this a first step in that direction? Would they bring in more measures to put into effect Article 44 of the Constitution following this? I do not want to embarrass the Government, but all the same I would appreciate a clear statement of policy from the Government.
Sir, the other day it delighted everyone’s heart to hear the hon. Mr. Santhanam pleading for monogamy. He challenged anybody to raise his little finger against this institution. Saint Tyagaraja admirably summed up Rama’s character in his own inimitable manner in these words:
Oka mata, oka banam, oka pathni,
That is One word, one arrow and one wife.
We are all glad that that ideal has been placed before us. Sir, I ask, is it good only for the Hindus? Will the Government bring forward a Bill common to all and make monogamy applicable to all citizens of India ? I say this not to embarrass Government. I would like to repeat. When it is put in this manner, you will have to put the problem in its proper bearing. You will remember that there is a community in India which will object to it on grounds of religion and you will also remember the unhappy happenings that followed the partition in this country. You will be saying that it will be an interference with religion, that it will be against the secular nature of the State. Now the Prime Minister has declared that our State is going to be a secular one. We should educate the people on the secular nature of the State. There are many things that are happening on the other side of the border which are sure to have their reactions on this side. That State is based shamefacedly on a theocratic basis and they propose to carry the full implications of that policy and such a policy on the other side cannot fail to have its reactions on this side. So, people begin to entertain misgivings about the secular nature of our State. They understand it in this light and there is good reason for that, that secularism means meddling with everything Hindu, and fighting shy of any other group. That is the way in which the general mass of the people in this country react to measures like this.