888 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
no blemishes and no faults. So, he did not direct his attention to making any changes in the legal system in consequence of the changes that he introduced in certain religious notions.
[M R . D EPUTY -S PEAKER in the Chair .]
In the same way, when Mahavir founded his own religion he did not create a new legal system for the Jains. He allowed the legal system to continue and I think Sardar Hukam Singh will correct me if I am wrong when I say that none of the ten Gurus ever created a law book as such for the Sikhs. The trouble is—you may call it trouble; you may call it good fortune; you may call it misfortune; I am not particular about words—the fact is this. In this country, although religions have changed, the law has remained one. That is why the Sikh follows the law.
Sardar Hukam Singh : But now you are making a new law.
Dr. Ambedkar : It is a new thing now. The Jains come and ask, “What are you going to do to us ? Are you going to make us Hindus ?” The Sikhs say the same thing. The Buddhists say the same thing. My answer to that is this : I cannot help it. You have been following a single law system and it is too late now for anyone to say that he shall reject this legal system wholesale and will have nothing to do with it. That cannot be done. Therefore, the application of the Hindu Law and the Hindu Code to Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs is a historical development to which you and I cannot now give any answer. All that we can do is to say that the thing has gone wrong and change it, reform it or make it more equitable and this is what we are doing. So far as the Sikhs are concerned, I find from the judgments of the Privy Council that this question was debated much earlier than even 1830, when the decision was taken that the Sikhs were Hindus so far as law is concerned. Just count from 1830 to 1950—for how many years you have been regarded as Hindus for legal purposes !
Sardar Hukam Singh: It has not been doubted.
Dr. Ambedkar : In law, we have a principle which is called stare decisis —a decision taken a long time ago and on which people have gone had better be stayed although it is wrong.
Sardar Hukam Singh : You are going to change it now. What should I do ?
Dr. Ambedkar : Now, Sir, with regard to the points made by my friend Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava. I was really very happy to hear his speech.