DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1051
Shri Bhatt : We don’t want to frighten them. I remember that the Hindu Code Bill Committee prepared a draft of the Bill and it was presented to the House in April, 1947. In the statement of Objects and Reasons was this sentence : “ There is a growing public opinion in favour of codification and a uniform code.” Beides this our hon. Kaka Saheb Says, “It is difficult to say which side is stronger”
Mr. Deputy Speaker : In the Official Report it will be difficult to understand who “Kaka Saheb” is.
Shri Bhatt : I admit the truth of what you say. As Kaka Saheb i.e, the Hon. Minister Shri Gadgil said just now and others said yesterday, that the English knowing people and even those who do not know English but have progressive views, agree to this. But if this is true, why do so many demonstrations take place against this Bill ? Both sides demonstrate. Abound the Parliament House, those who are in favour of the Code Bill and those who are against it, both of them demonstrate. I know both sides have scholars and intelligent people among them and also men and women.
Dr. Ambedkar : They are all lunatics. They are out because our lunatic asylums are too small.
Shri Bhatt : Then Hon. Dr. Ambedkar says that those who are opposing the Bill are lunatics. I beg to submit with respect that I want to stand against this statement. If you call them lunatics, they would call you a hundred times bigger lunatic. I want to emphasise that if a person calls his opponents lunatics, he is living in an age with which we are fed up. During British Rule, such Government was here as neither listened to, nor tolerated what others thought. I don’t agree to Dr. Ambedkar’s statement, who has been compared to Manu, that his opponents are lunatics and are out because our lunatic asylums are too small. I agree…..
Shri R. K. Chaudhari : May I say that we are losing all the humour because the hon. Member is speaking in Hindi. Those who know Hindi understand but we are not following him at all.
Pandit Malaviya : It is not humour but grim humour.
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava (Punjab) : My hon. Friend does not understand, otherwise he would be somewhere else according to Dr. Ambedkar.
Shri R. K. Chaudhari : I understood Dr. Ambedkar to say that those who were opposed to this Bill are mad. Is that in order ?