1294 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
while taking up the property clause. If in reality the Law Minister was very serious about our women’s betterment, he should have taken up property clause first, because we cannot possibly help women take their proper place in society unless their economic condition is well improved and they are made absoultely free in that sphere. Hence, I cannot understand why that clause is not taken first. It is none of my intention to criticise his motives, but, all the same, I cannot but say that his real object is apparently different from what he is advocating. By bringing forward this measure he seems to be intending to exterminate the Hindu religion, Hindu society and the Hindu customs and usage, thereby bringing moral degradation of the Hindu society. His aim seems to be no other than this. By taking the property clause first and thereby seeing that women’s economic conditions are improved, we could have given them some solid relief. Many an Hon. Members pleaded for this but there was our Law Minister constantly nodding his head in disapproval. He perhaps does not like us to take the credit of doing something for our women which would help them and redress their grievances.
I was just referring to my friend Shri Bhargava’s view that divorce was a thing which he did not like and as a matter of fact very few persons have supported it. The reason is that it is not a good thing. I may just give you an idea as to what would happen if divorce is enforced. Daily the youths of our country would read in the papers that so many cases of divorce took place that day and that such and such person divorced his or her partner. The newspaper published in my friend Shri Brij Kishore’s village in Bihar and also that which Shri Syamnandan Sahaya is going to bring out, would report such cases and they would read them. Out of all persons, Shri Brij Kishore seems to have seen greatest advantages in divorce. He would read these reports very enthusiastically. I am rather sorry that he is not here at this time otherwise he could know what madness he was indulging in while talking like that.
Sir, I was submitting what my friend Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava said that divorce was not a good thing. But he stated the reasons why he favoured the idea. He said that in the clause relating to divorce a provision was being made to make it optional. According to him it was a very important provison. He said that it was only an enabling clause. But I would submit that a number of enabling clauses have been passed here. The Hon. Minister of Industry and the Hon. Minister