DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 999
tremendously on this Hindu Code Bill. I do not wish that that should be so. I want that we should go on progressing and making reforms in our social structure. But, we will do it in such a way that we can carry the bulk of the people with us, not carry them by force in this House or carry them by threads of sweeping agitation outside, but carry them by appealing to their logic and to their conviction. When I discussed this matter with representatives of the orthodox school of view.....
Dr. Ambedkar : That is Karapatriji.
Dr. S. P. Mookerjee : No ; I have not met him recently.
Pandit Maitra : What is the harm if he is consulted ?
Dr. Ambedkar : No harm. I invited him and he expressed a desire to come. Afterwards, he refused to come. I have not shunned him.
Dr. S. P. Mookerjee : I have not discussed this matter with Karapatriji rcently. I shall not be sorry to discuss it with him ; but, I have not discussed.
Dr. Ambedkar : In fact; I invited him to come and discuss ; but he has not come.
Dr. S. P. Mookerjee : I have discussed this matter with many people who represent his point of view and others who are not orthodox. Somehow, the country is divided today. How to proceed in the matter ? As I said, it is not a Press law, that something is in danger and so you must go and pass the Press law somehow and operate it. This is not an amendment of the Constitution. It is not a political matter. In fact, we may differ on matters of politics. But, there should be a fundamental agreement with regard to the need for introducing reforms into our great country, which will make our civilisation more progressive and more advanced. That should be our common ground of approach. Those who are following the existing practices, those who are abiding by the ; provisions of the existing laws are not retrograde. The tragedy is that many of the supporters of the Bill, who have been carried away by their notions of so-called progress and advance, in their exuberance think that what they think is the last word on the subject, that they represent progress and the others are retrograde. That is very unfortunate. ( An Hon. Member : Lipstick). I am not talking about lipstick at all; I have talked about progress. We should see the other man’s point of view, the point of view of man who believe in the existing ideology, unless it can be pointed out that something is happening in the society which