1156 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
strong difference with us they should settle down to the view that India must progress as a nation, and if we are the first nation in Asia and are going to be the first nation of the world, they will help us to advance and progress and not deter us in any way.
I will conclude my speech by reminding the conservative friends in this House that this advancement of the Hindu Code and marriage laws is not a new thing. We have forgotten recent reformers like Sir Hari Singh Gour or Dr. M. R. Jayakar who have made specific indents into the old traditions and customs of Hindu laws, particularly marriage laws. So it is no use our saying that Dr. Ambedkar threw bombshell and a surprise at our consevative friends. We are progressing and Dr. Ambedkar has done one thing. He has faced the whole problem and not attempted piece-meal legislation. Yet to concede to our conservative friends the House is almost agreed to pass only one part of the Hindu Code Bill.
I support the measure.
- Dr. Ambedkar : I think it is an extra-ordinary event in the history of this Parliament and, I believe, in the history of die past Legislative Assemblies that we should have been engaged in the discussion of a single clause for not less than seven days. I do not think there is any parallel to this. But in view of the fact that many Members have raised the point that this Bill touches part of their conscience, our Prime Minister in a righteous spirit has allowed them and also the Chair, the longest time that any Member might want to consume in order to express his mind on the subject, ( An Hon. Member : Wrong). I have no complaint against that because it is much better that we should give to every individual, whether he speaks for or against, the fullest opportunity rather than create a feeling in the Members who do not see eye to eye with Government—to go home with a feeling— that they have been choked. I hope that, notwithstanding the fact that seven precious days have been spent in the discussion of this clause, when this clause is put to vote no Member will have a complaint on any such ground at all.
Babu Ramnarayan Singh : I have.
Dr. Ambedkar : The debate on this clause has as a matter of fact taken place in two parts. A part of the debate took place in the last session of Parliament, and this is a sort of a supplementary debate to the original debate. I am sorry to say that notwithstanding the fact
*P.D., Vol. XV, Part II, 20th September 1951, pp. 2937-59.