1020 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
to go the way of Hitler and other dictators who forced social and other reforms on the people. We are a democratic nation and want to stick to democratic methods. If there is to be democracy and since this is only a personal law and not a law necessary for the maintenance of law and order or other purposes (it may be necessary in the view of some for the advancement of the community) there can be two opinions and one can be as honestly and steadfastly held as the other one.
In the case of some of the reforms suggested the experience elsewhere in the world has not been altogether happy. Take for instance the divorce law. There are various degrees of divorces and varying facilities for obtaining the same current in the world. Those who advocated divorce and wanted to organise society on individual freedom have come to grief and looking at these consequences in foreign countries, when some of our people merely try to imitate others, because they think it is more fashionable to advocate that view, some people feel apprehensive that this is sheer mad and sheepish imitation. That spirit of sheer imitation is there and the support for it is also there, because these people have never had the patience to study the actual results which have come about in foreign countries. So the orthodox opinion which does not share the view of the reformists is equally honestly held and is as well founded. When we know that the Hindu religion, the Hindu law and the Hindu custom have survived the onslaughts of history for thousands of years, naturally we feel that this is the one country or nation or community which has something of its own and instead of there being a flat uniformity, the consequences of which have been evil in many cases, why not try and evolve a system just as it has been evolved all these thousands of years. I do claim that the Hindu religion and the Hindu law are the one religion and the one law which have been evolved through the centuries. They have not remained stagnant and I am sure Dr. Ambedkar will admit that the Hindu law and custom have never been static: they have adjusted themselves to the circumstances from time to time and are capable of doing so hereafter also.
It is quoted that the Chinese and the Americans say that we are a backward people, because we have not got such and such a social system. Before we accept such comments bearing upon our society and before we incline ourselves to accepting their viewpoint, we must know what those people are. May I ask how far these Chinese and Americans have studied our religion and our law ? Have they imbibed the spirit