1116 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
by clause and determine. ( Interruption ) I see that the Hon. Law Minister has a very clear vision. The Law Minister or any other member or even myself may have any view of a matter. But when the hon. Law Minister and others agree that there is a yardstick by which a piece of cloth has to be measured, there can be no room for any difference or controversy. ( Interruption ). I have already mentioned but obviously it has not yet been sufficiently mentioned for my friend Mr. Bharati that there is a yardstick, which has come down to us from the ages, ( Shri Bharati : The measurement differs so widely) according to which the interpretation of the sacred texts has to be made.
Shri Bharati: The difference in the yardstick is one inch to a mile.
Pandit Malaviya : My friend Mr. Bharati says that the difference between the yardsticks is one inch to a mile. I do not know if I can say anything about that remark, because it carries in itself the visible and the obvious, that my esteemed friend is altogether unaware of the nature of the yardstick I have mentioned. There would be no question of any difference, not even one in one millionth of a millimeter. Therefore, if that can be agreed upon, I think, all controversy on this matter would end and there would be no need for us to say anything more at this stage. We can then easily leave it to the hon. Minister. I can place the entire matter in his hands not only as the umpire or the judge for those who are in favour of the Code but also for those who, like me, want him to go through the clauses, item, by item according to the text of the Shastras, interpret them through the Mimansa and apply them to the provisions of this Code and say if they do not militate against them. If he says that I shall be satisfied and I will offer no further opposition. I do not think anything more fair or reasonable could be said. If however, that cannot be done, the least we could ask for is that the claim that the Hindu Code Bill contains provisions which are all based upon what is contained in the Shastras, should be completely given up and withdrawn, so that the millions of our people who may not have the opportunity of being critical enough to examine the basis of such statements may not be misled by such entirely wrong and misleading statements and they may not fall into that dangerous pit. Probably the Bill may have been prepared innocently, but it has within it the potentialities for untold and immeasurable mischief. If that also cannot be done there can be no other way for Members of this House or those of them who feel like me, but to examine all these proposals in extensive detail in the