DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1159
to raise is this. Is survival enough or whether it is necessary for us to consider whether the plane on which we survived is more important than the mere survival itself ? A man who mixes with his opponent in battle vanquishes him, obtains victory on him also survives. A man who meets his opponent, runs away from him like a coward and he also survives. Is the survival of the victor of the same value, of the same character as the survival of a coward ? I think we ought to consider this question on what plane has the Hindu society survived. ( An Hon. member : Survival of the fittest). Yes, but on circumstanes. Here my friends will forgive me saying so, when I examine the history of India, we have survived, yes, but we have survived as people who have been from time to time subjugated, vanquished and enslaved. ( An Hon. Member : Who has not been ?) Yes. My. Hon. friend asks me the question “who has not been ?” There are many countries and many communities who have lost in battle, who have been enslaved but I would like to remind my Hon. friend that if he studies the history of all vanquished people, he will realise that some day, at some time, the vanquished people on other parts of the world have tried to achieve their liberty. I have not seen any such thing in this country. Therefore, the argument that merely because we have survived when other countries have lost and gone into history is one which does not convince me of the goodness or the soundness of the social structure under which we have been living. It has been said that the Hindu society has been a very progressive society. It was an argument which my Hon. friend, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee expatiated at great length and he pointed out that so great a radical reformer like the Buddha was accepted by the Hindu society as a great figure and not only they accepted him as a great figure but they adopted and accepted some of the principles which he advocated in his life.
It is no doubt one of the great qualities of Hindu society to absorb some things from those who oppose it. But, my point is this. Has the Hindu society changed its structure as a result of the absorption of the doctrine of their opponents ? Let me develop the position with regard to the Buddha. What did he preach ? He preached equality. He was the greatest opponent of chatur varna ; he was the greatest opponent of belief in the Vedas because he believed in reason and . did not believe in the infallibility of any book. He believed in ahimsa, the Brahmanic society accepted some things. What did they accept ? They accepted the most innocuous dogma of ahimsa. Nobody was