DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1025
Mr. Deputy Speaker : He was on the question of monogamy.
Shrimati Jayshri : Monogamy and sacramental marriage. In regard to our sacramental marriage, this is what the married couple pledge themselves to do :
“Having taken these seven steps with me, we have become companions. May I retain that companionship and never part from thee nor thou from me. Let us be united. Let us always take counsel together, loving each other and ever ready in each other’s company, let us be united in mind and grow together in strength and prosperty. Let us join in our aspirations, our vows and our sorrows.”
May I ask whether this ideal of sacramental marriage is kept in our present society ? I would request Dr. Mookerjee to give his honest opinion whether he really thinks that no reform is necessary in our present Hindu Marriage Law. We all know that our Hindu society allows a man to marry as many times as he likes. This vow which we take during the marriage ceremony is only meant for women. Our laws are one-sided. They are only meant for women. We all know that when a man becomes a widower, even at the burning ground when he goes there to attend his wife’s funeral his engagement takes place. So, a man considers marriage in such a light manner. And still, we talk of our Hindu marriages being sacramental.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : Widows also can marry.
Shrimati Jayashri : Women are more conservative in that way. They still consider that they would not like to marry even if they become widows. They do not seek to have second mrriages, but due to the one-sidedness of our Hindu Law Nariprathishta has gone down.
Hon. Members must have read K. Mushruwala’s article in the Harijan where he shows how we are treating women in our society at present. We all know how in the Mahabharat the clothes of Draupadi were removed and she prayed to Krishna:
“ कौरवार्णवमननामाभुद्धरस्व जनार्दन ”
(“I am sinking in the sea of Kauravas. Save me O Krishna.”)
Similar cries we hear today from our poor women who are illtreated by our society. We call our Hindu society Sanatana, that is to say, Sada Nutan (always new)—it is always changing. Change is the essence of life. If society does not change, it becomes stagnant. For thousands of years our society has survived because it has accepted changes.