DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 911
Dr. Ambedkar : There may be very good reason for it.
Shri Syamnandan Sahaya : That is what your Code will reduce the Hindu community to. If some people like it, then of course I have no objection to their adopting it.
Shri Raj Bahadur : Hence the necessity for divorce.
Shri Syamnandan Sahaya : I know young people like you are very anxious to have divorce laws, but there are other people who have to think of your welfare.
So, these are the difficulties about this legislation and before I resume my seat I would strongly urge upon this House and the Hon. the Law Minister to accept the amendment of making this legislation permissive. Otherwise, I am afraid it will not be taken so lightly by Hindus as Government think. It is going to create a great furor in the country.
Dr. Ambedkar : No.
Shri Himatsingka (West Bengal) : Dr. Ambedkar is not afraid.
Dr. Ambedkar : I don’t think so at all.
Shri Syamnandan Sahaya : I have no doubt in my mind that the Hon. the Law Minister is not afraid. He need not be afraid either. I had attempted not to say this, but I am doing so now. When I was last in my constituency, some people came to me and said, “You have not been a Congressman before” I said, “Yes, I have not been a Congressman before.” They said, “You also dine with Muslims and are not orthodox and you are not a very devout Hindu.” I said, “Yes. I am not a very orthodox Hindu in that sense.” And then they said, “Is it therefore that this Hindu Code has been invented which has the effect of a bullet that kills two birds at the same time, namely, the Hindu community and the Congress ? If the Congress Government is not circumspect and responsive to public opinion even after this, let them go the way they like. The country and the people will decide what to do with them.”
Shri Alagesan (Madras) : Unfortunately yesterday the House was plunged into a mood which detracted very much from the seriousness of the measure that is before us. I am glad that we have now regained the proper mood to consider it more seriously than before. Yesterday, the Hon. the Law Minister put up a very vigorous plea for the acceptance of the Code and his amendments. He is always a superb advocate. Apart from the content of Iris speech, the tone and the manner of it brought even those who oppose him very near getting convinced.
P.D., Vol. VIII, Part II, 7th February 1951, pp. 2499-2504.