DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 1273
in, in one form or another. Even in that case the same result would follow, I am in favour of monogamy, both because it is a law of nature and society has enjoined it and it is in accordance with modern trends. In that respect fortunately in India the ratio between the sexes is equal but even here there are certain other factors which have to be taken into consideration. I have some figures about the ratio in the different provinces. These figures show that the ratio in Madras and Bombay is equal.
Dr. Ambedkar: You are pleading for polygamy ?
Shri Sarwate : Let me proceed. In Bengal and some other provinces the males are preponderating and the females are less. So if you provide only one form of marriage for all these provinces it may not do.
Shri Brajeshwar Prasad (Bihar) : Has my hon. friend studied the ratio between the different age groups—the males between the ages of
16 and 35 and the proportion of females between the ages of 16 and
35 ? That will throw light on the question whether there should be monogamy or polygamy.
Dr. Ambedkar: He wants you to study the proportion of the different age groups among the sexes. But why do you not leave the argument to younger people ?
Shri Sarwate : Every body has to do his work. Dr. Ambedkar has to do his work and I am doing mine.
To proceed with my argument, it is irrelevent or unnecessary for developing my argument to show what the proportion of the males to the females in the different age groups is. I want here to show that in different tracts different conditions prevail and would have to be provided for as has been done in the prevailing Hindu Law through the different schools and through the achar. This is a case where it is absolutely necessary that variety must be provided for and it can be done only by allowing customs, customs which are ancient and are governed by public morality.
I conclude with this observation, that this amendment is entirely unnecessary. Sub-clause (a) is undesirable and sub-clause (b) is unnecessary. Therefore, this clause should be entirely dropped and the amendment disallowed.
- Dr. C. D. Pande (Uttar Pradesh) : I rise to speak in favour of omitting the clause which seeks to abrogate the validity of customary
*P.D., Vol. XV, Part II, 22nd September 1951, pp. 3107-12.