994 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
commented upon by those who came after them, were not dogmatic in character. Just as the needs of the society changed, so also the laws were altered. In a huge country like India which is one politically today—and we would undoubtedly like to see that it grows politically, socially, culturally and economically as one solid nation—at the same time, we cannot forget that in this country dwell thousands and thousands of people in various parts, in towns and in villages, men educated, uneducated, men with vision and with no vision and they have built up a structure of their own consistent with individual and social progress and welfare. Somehow that society has developed. Do you find any other country in this world where in spite of tremendous onslaughts the social structure has remained one ?
India passed through seven hundred years of Muslim rule. Now, many theories were propounded during that period which in the context of today’s circumstances may appear to be rather conservative. But they were dictated by considerations for the preservation and consolidation of the society as such, and that is how those particular principles were propounded by the masters who were in no circumstance less qualified to speak on matters with which they dealt than any of us sitting in this Parliament today.
From time to time movements came into this country. Reference has been made to Brahmo Samaj to Arya Samaj as soon as it appeared that the society was becoming stagnant, was becoming conservative, some outstanding personality raised his head in this land and drew upon the great sources, the fountain head of Indian knowledge, the Vedas or the Upanishads, gave their own interpretation and thereby tried to check the growth of the evils of conservatism or the moral decay of the society. But what has happened today ? The ideology for which the Brahmo Samaj stood in this country, say, about a hundred years ago has practically been absorbed by the Hindu society as you call the Hindu society today.
The other day we were discussing about Buddhism, a matter on which Dr. Ambedkar naturally would be the best authority to speak in view of his latest transformation to that religion. But in any case some friends from outside India came, I have something to do with the Maha Bodhi Society. I happen to be its President. (An Hon. Member : Are you a Buddhist ?) without being a Buddhist. I am a Hindu and yet I am its President, because I have liberality enough to admit the greatness of Buddhism and yet remain a Hindu. The point I was about to develop