DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 915
Yesterday, the Hon. the Law Minister was very pleased with the speech of my friend Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava. He was all praise for the Code. He showered encomium on the Hon. the Law Minister for having thought fit to bring forward this measure. But, he made one very important reservation. He said all this only on the condition that it should not apply to the Punjab. He made an observation that those who have moved amendments are trying to rope in the other communities, the non-Hindus in this Act, and he asked whether the non-Hindus in this House are prepared to come under this measure. He went on to answer the question himself in the negative. But, I have consulted some of the non-Hindu Members of this House and they are quite willing to have a common code.
Dr. Ambedkar : Non- Hindus ?
Shri Alagesan : Yes, non-Hindus.
Shri Bharati : May I have the names of those Members ?
Shri Alagesan : The hon. Member may have it later from me ?
As it is, we are doing a great injustice to the non-Hindu Members of this House. They are unable to take any interest in this discussion.
Dr. Ambedkar : Why, Mr. Nazruddin Ahmad has.
Shri Alagesan : He only reflects the opinion of his clients. The other non-Hindu Members of this House simply sit back and relax. They are not able to take any lively interest in the discussion, if they support it they are afraid of wounding the susceptibilities of the orthodox section of the Hindus: if they oppose it they are afraid of still more terrible elements. So thay are playing a passive role.
Prof. Ranga (Madras) : They support the Bill.
Shri Alagesan : That is doubtful. It is, therefore, necessary that we should make this measure more representative. Because, there will be nothing objectionable in it. If monogamy is good for a Hindu it ought to be equally good for a Muslim.
Shri Syamnandan Sahaya : Better for him.
Shri Alagesan : The present day Indian Muslim would not, I think, oppose it on religious grounds, because when Muslims were permitted to marry up to four wives perhaps it might have been on account of the expanding phase of the Arab Empire. They wanted to expand and conserve, and so they were permitted to marry up to four wives, perhaps. But now we are faced with an entirely different situation in this country. Though our Prime Minister likes and loves to play