DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 913
Shri Alagesan : I wish to put a counter question to the Hon. the Law Minister. He said that those who oppose the Hindu Code cannot agree to a common civil code. It is impossible, he said, because he knew those persons very well. Everybody knows that the new elections will be held all over the country for this Parliament as well as for the legislatures of the various States within a year’s time. It is not necessary that because this House is sovereign and supreme it should take upon itself the task of legislating on each and every subject. It may postpone some legislation : it may leave, with profit, some legislation to the House that will be elected within a very short time, and I do not doubt that the Hon. the Law Minister will concede that the new House that is going to be elected will have more time and will certainly be better placed and will certainly reflect the latest opinion and mood and temper of the people than this House can ever do. Will he not concede that such a House will be better placed to enact this piece of legislation than this house is ? And if he does not choose to do it, if he does not choose to leave the matter in the hands of the House that is to come, is it due to the fact that he is afraid that this measure will not be passed by that House ? Shall I attribute such a motive to him, though I would not like to do it ? ( An Hon. Member : You have done it.) Why then does he fight shy of placing this all-comprehensive codification of Hindu law, before the new Parliament of this country ? I think he should satisfactorily answer this question.
But the chief complaint against the present Government, if one can say so, is this. After we have succeeded in our revolution, we have failed more in the psychological sphere than in other spheres. We have failed to enthuse the people : we have failed to strike that emotional chord in the people which alone binds them to us. Everybody is worried on this account. Why ? It is good that we consider this question and examine it a little more carefully. In my opinion, we have decided largely on a policy of carry-over. We simply carry on the old traditions and we have not done anything to show a striking change which appeals to the people. This Hindu Code is an instance in point. It has been conceived under quite different circumstances, when we were under the impression that everything that is Hindu is wrong and cannot be correct. We wanted to reform, we wanted to change, but not with a proper appreciation, in my opinion. We are simply carrying that over. We are trying to model the Hindu Code as a code that will apply to the Hindu community, though it is a very great community