1040 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
we not remove them ? I remember while speaking on the amendment Bill of my hon. friend Shri B. Das regarding the Child Marriage Restraint Act. I gave figures from the 1931 census and said that there were 1,300 widows below the age of one year. Is not that an evil ? And girl widows below the age often there were millions. And if you prevent them from re-marriage, just consider what will be the effect of it on society ? And only good has come out of the legislation that was passed. Today the position is that the average marriage age has gone up considerably. The problem now is not of marrying earlier, but of marrying at all.
There was threat of opposition to this measure in 1930 and so great was me threat that all the communites were combined against
11 A.M. the messure. I remember the description given at that time ; that before the Act was brought into operation thousands of children were taken from Calcutta to Chandernagore and married there, because it was not part of Birtish India, that thousands of children were taken in the midstream of the Indus and married, because there was no extraterritoriality so far as this Act was concerned at that time. This element of extra-territoriality was incorporated at the suggestion of Mr. B. Das. The point is that there are undoubtedly evils about which there is no dispute and it is not anybody’s desire to nurse or keep those evils going on. As to whether the remedy should be stringent or less stringent is a matter on which the Members of the opposition can certainly have a discussion with my Hon. Friend Dr. Ambedkar and a via media found out. What I suggest is let this House take some steps towards progress and let us go down in history that in spite of real or created opposition this House had the courage to take at least one step towards the reform of Hindu society. That would be the greatest tribute to you individually and collectively and I do hope the whole House will rise to the occasion. That does not mean that you should accept whatever is suggested nor that you should reject everything Let us not have a closed mind : let us have an open mind. Let us agree that there is evil in society and let us agree that some remedy must be found. This is all that I have to say and I do hope that in that spirit the House will respond to the Hindu Code introduced by my Hon. Friend Dr. Ambedkar.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : Before I call Pandit Kunzru to speak I might say that I have been hearing speeches as if on the first reading and not on clause 2 which is before the House. Clause 2 consists of four subclauses and the amendments refer to them. Not many Members have addressed themselves to the clause proper. Evidently they want the