DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1031
Legislature of the country, has a right to interfere but not the present Parliament. They rather prefer that the matter should be completely looked after and dealt with by those who will come after this Parliament is dissolved. So far as the first school is concerned I think, as was said rightly by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, it is too late in the day. Continually, in the course of the last 150 years, legislation after legislation has been passed by the Central Legislature—whatever the denomination of that legislature may have been—and all those things have become part and parcel of the Hindu community and its life. When I said that soon after the passing of this code, same thing would happen, my hon. friend Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was not agreeable. He has accused us, namely the Members of the Treasury Bench of suffering from “Secularities”. I should say, knowing as I do, his views of social reform, knowing as I do that he comes from Bengal, a province where social reform was first mooted, beginning with Raja Ram Mohan Roy and carried on by Kesav Chandra Sen, Tagore and other people of great importance and consequence, that I cannot believe that he is seriously opposed to what is being proposed in the Hindu Code, but probably he is suffering from ‘electionitis’ and if that is so, the cure and remedy will be provided for in the general election. He agreed that it is very difficult to say on which side is the public opinion. I think he is right. We might claim public opinion to be…….
Pandit Malaviya (Uttar Pradesh) : Will the Government be prepared to make this Hindu Code one of the issues in the election ?
Shri Gadgil : In spite of the Government, it has already become. The point is that it is difficult to say on which side the public opinion is. I want to ask in all humility one question to the hon. Members of this House, Has or has not the Government which still carried the confidence of this House some right to initiate social reform, not merely the right, but a duty enjoyed on this Government in terms of the clauses of the Constitution ? You have given us certain directives ; you have laid down the objectives. If we do not do anything on those lines, the electorate might turn round and say : Well you passed this constitution merely to fool us. Half the population in this country, namely, the women will say : You talk of social equality but where is that social equality. ( An hon. Member : Question). I am sure the hon. Member will lose in his own house if he takes a referendum.
Pandit Maitra (West Bengal) : Does the hon. Member say half a dozen women of half the population ?