DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1209
Shri Jhunjhunwala : Yes, Sir, I want to speak on it.
In my amendment I want to add the word “ varna ” after “tribe”.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : He wants caste custom also to be recognised there. He wants to introduce among the various categories “caste” also, after the word “tribe”. He has already tabled an amendment to that effect. Now he wants to change the nomenclature of the word from “caste” to “ varna ”.
Shri Jhunjhunwala : I want that the word “ varna ” should occur after the word “tribe” in clause 3(i). The object of my putting in this amendment is that while customs and usages will be recognised according to the area, tribe, community, group or family, the reasons for recognising such usages and customs have not been explained by the Honourable Doctor. But if the principle is accepted that certain customs and usages will be recognised, if as he has said these are proved to be progressive, in that case the customs which are prevalent in different varnas according to Varnashrama Dharma should be recognised if the conditions laid down by the Hon. Doctor are satisfied.
This Varnashrama Dharma is of no recent origin. People say that it is only in the puranic time that these varnas, castes and all these things have come into existence. But that is not a fact. These things were in existence long before, say 3,000 years back. They have got a great deal to do with our life and social structure as well as our economic structure. All the four varnas have got different usages and different customs, and they have meaning behind them. Every usage and custom has got meaning behind it, and duties are allotted to different varnas according to their ability. The other day when a question was put to him whether he has got the sacred thread, the Hon. Mr. Gadgil said, “Yes, I had a sacred thread”, then he took off his coat and said, “See, I have taken it away”.
Mr. Deputy Speaker : He did not take off his coat.
Shri Jhunjhunwala : I stand corrected. He did not take off his whole coat and the reason which he gave, to which I attach importance, was that he is not capable of following the Dharma of a Brahmin for which the sacred thread is worn, and he said, “Therefore, as an honest man I thought it my duty to throw it away”. Sir, this shows that even the hon. Mr. Gadgil recognizes that there is something very great and sanctifying in the usage and of putting on the sacred thread before a Brahmin is married. In the same way there are similar customs in other varnas also. Therefore, it is very necessary that all the customs