DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1019
Dr. Deshmukh : Not at all. The mere mention of there being ladies of a different viewpoint has excited our sisters here so much. ( Interruptions ) . They are also aware that a good many ladies, not alone the few ladies who came to see me, have resigned from the All India Women’s Conference.
Several Hon. Members : Who are they ? ( Interruption ) .
Dr. Deshmukh : I can give not only their names but if I present them before you in all their strength you will probably be frightened. Their number is so large that it is impossible to give their names.
Shri Sidhva (Madhya Pradesh) : They are unknown women : they were canvassing in the Constitution House yesterday.
Dr. Deshmukh : You have seen two of them yesterday.
Shri Sidhva : They were unknown women.
Dr. Deshmukh : Those are the very ladies I am referring to. .
Mr. Deputy Speaker : The hon. Member will resume his seat. This is a very contentious matter. There is a large body of opinion in favour of it and there is also a body of opinion against it. It is no good talking of unknown women and unknown men. It does not add to the dignity of the proceedings of the House. The hon. Member need not refer again and again to these two women. There are not only two but two thousand against the code and there are also two million on the other side. So there is opinion both for and against. We are here discussing the bill dispassionately. Let nothing be said which, is derogatory to the high dignity of the House. Unknown women and unknown men are expressions which are not rather very parliamentary. The hon. Member need not pursue the matter by saying two ladies, again and again.
Dr. Deshmukh : I had no desire to do so but for the interruptions. Sir, I will now come to the various amendments moved in the house. My friend Dr. Mookerjee suggested many alternatives to the acceptance of the Code. One of them was to make the provisions of the Code optional. There is also an amendment to say that there should be a referendum and if the majority of the people supported the Code in the referendum, then it should be made applicable. I had given notice of an amendment last time which referred to the Hindu Code as a whole and suggested that it be made applicable in any State after the Legislature of the State after the next elections had ratified it. There is a good deal of force in the suggestion regarding ratification by the State Governments and State Legislatures. After all we are not trying