832 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
domestic sphere ? I think it is not logic. It is not good. The Hindus should remain Hindus at home and they should be Hindus in their religious practices. Similarly the Christians and Muslims should have their freedom of thought, worship and religion which has been granted in another part of the Constitution. I ask the House to consider whether in view of the number of defects noticed in the Constitution, it requires revision. I think it is easier within two years of the passing of the Constitution to amend it than it would be after two years. So it is time for us to amend the Constitution to make it possible to pass a good law affecting the Hindus. So far as religious and semi-religious matters are concerned the law could not interfere and at least it should not be dictated from the top. This is a kind of dictatorship which does persist in democratic society.
Shri Tyagi : Marriage and divorce do not come under religion.
Shri Naziruddin Ahmad : I believe the Hindu marriage is one of the Samskaras ; it is the tenth Samskara; it is part of their religion and it is idle to argue that it is not part of their religion. I say you may abolish religion and the law gives you freedom and this House is a sovereign House within the Constitution. You can abolish religion, if you like but will you go so far as that ? So far as this is concerned. I do not want to pursue it further but then look at the condition in which we exist today. We have no food. We had to spend Rs. 200 crores for importing food from foreign countries and to make us live for this year. (Interruption). We have no clothes. There are no shelters for many of our countrymen; we cannot give primary education at all but what we give is a free gift to the Hindus in the shape of the Hindu Code. If you want to make them happy, you must give them food, give them education.
The Deputy Minister of Communications (Shri Khurshed Lal) : This might have been a very good argument on the motion for taking the Bill into consideration. We are now considering a specific clause.
Mr. Chairman : I was waiting to hear the last words of his concluding remarks to know the inference he proposed to draw from his preceding observations.
Shri Tyagi : I want to know how is it that a Muslim is quoting our scriptures.
Shri Naziruddin Ahmad : We should not think of this Code but we should think of more and more constructive things which would