1280 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
want to maintain it and bring the Dwijas and the Shudras together, the amendment in respect of Marriage and Divorce clauses of the Hindu Code Bill should be accepted.
- Shri T. N. Singh : ( English translation of the Hindi speech ). Sir, I am delibratley speaking in Hindi, because some of the hon. Members and particularly shri Oraon, by speaking on the Hindu Code Bill in Hindi, have in a way asked us to do the same. We have one thing specially in mind while discussing this particular clause 4. Dr. Ambedkar has certainly tried to take a place in the galaxy of Manu. Parasher and Yajnavalkya by following in their footsteps, but I believe that it is an unjustified effort on his part because our traditions have gradually evolved according to the dictates of time and circumstances. They are formed on the basis of collective wisdom and experience. Therefore, the wisdom of any particular individual cannot affect them. What I mean to say is that we cannot violate our traditions so simply and so easily. We perhaps do not even know all of these traditions. I would challenge Dr. Ambedkar, our Minister of Law, to state how many traditions of ours, which he wants to destroy completely through this Hindu Code, are there in this vast country of ours, in the Bharatvarsh. How far is it proper for him to say that these traditions which he perhaps does not know of should be completely destroyed ? Therefore, you can make efforts to follow Parashar or Yajnavalkya or any other lawgiver ( Smritikar ) but, for god’s sake, do not make this wanton assault on these traditions.
Sir, I would like to tell you that a good many traditions are being followed by innumerable people in every corner of our country. They are perhaps being followed on a higher level of morality that what was obtained by Manu, Parashar or any other Smritikar. Can anybody today say that in that section of our country to which our Shri Theble Oraon has the Honour of belonging, many things, many traditions, many laws are not such as are highly superior to our laws ? In my view this divorce (perhaps there is no one word of it in Hindi). ( An hon. Member: Vivah-Vichheda. ) You may say Vivah vichheda, but it is not one word anyway, the rules in force there in this regard are far superior to the rules in our Code or rules found anywhere, in England, in America or elsewhere. In our opinion it is not proper to curtail them or to boast that this Code or this measure is better and should replace them. Therefore I would appeal to our Government,
*P.D., Vol. XV, Part II, 22nd September 1951, pp. 3126-28.