DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 953
every day. Therefore, this orthodoxy will not remain adamant, as it has been in the past. But is it necessary that the reformist should become aggressive ? Should they play the game of the old orthodox people and try to dictate what they feel to be the best to people who do not regard them as the best but as the worst ? Why should you do that ? That is the question and in that question my community also joins.
We feel that our system of law, and our system of distribution of wealth is more democratic and more socialistic and more, if I may say so, akin to the communistic, than the system which is proposed in this piece of legislation before us.
I think the major amendments to clause 2 can be divided into three categories. Firstly, some of the amendments, notably amendment Nos. 13 and 14 of the Consolidated List want to increase its applicability. Amendment No. 13 of the supplementary list also. Then there are certain amendments, like No. 18 which wants to decrease its applicability. Then there is the third category, which wants to restrict its applicability to only those who wish to come under this. I think it is a very good media which has been suggested by Shri Jaspat Roy Kapoor and deserves the most serious consideration of this House— whether it would not serve our purpose by having a better code than the reformed Code which Dr. Ambedkar has brought before the House. He had to give some concession much against his wish.
I wish to state a few facts for the consideration of the House. These facts are that the Bill sought to be amended by Dr. Ambedkar is so materially different from the Report of the Select Committee that we should in common justice recirculate these amendments and get the opinion of the country whether they wish to have this in the form in which they have been brought or not, and there is no time for that. This House is under dissolution. It will last probably, if things do not move in an untoward direction—which may quite possibly happen on account of the war—for a few more months. Now, I ask my lady friends and reformists whether it would not be better for them to take up the challenge of the orthodoxy now. According to Shri Jaspat Roy Kapoor’s amendment it is only a question of how far you are going to get the co-operation of the people to come and be under this Act. There is no occasion better than the election. In the election booth all the adult population of the country will be coming. If you have a system of registration running side by side with the