836 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Several Hon. Members: Never, never.
Shri Naziruddin Ahmad : My next amendment, No. 21, I would repeat my argument, enforces a condition that a man, whose religion is in question, is a Hindu if he is a Hindu after attaining the age of eighteen years; because at the age of eighteen, he is entitled to act in a legal manner, and if he has attained the age of eighteen years, he may change his religion. Therefore, the option of a boy, on attaining the age of eighteen years, to change his religion, is provided for. That contingency has not been thought of by the draftsmen. Therefore, I am submitting this amendment for the consideration of the House.
I now come to my next amendment No. 23. It runs thus:
For part (d) of sub-clause (1) of clause 2, substitute:
“(d) to a convert to the Hindu religion, subject to his rights and liabilities before his conversion.”
You say that a convert to a Hindu religion would be a Hindu. It is plain commonsense that a man has freedom of conscience and religion and he would be fully entitled to convert himself to Hinduism. But, what happens to his rights and liabilities before he is converted ? I will explain the position. A Christian, a married man, is converted today to the Hindu religion. What happens to his wife ? Would the wife be automatically divorced because she is not a Hindu ? A marriage between a Hindu and a Christian would be illegal. I agree that a convert to the Hindu religion should be treated as a Hindu. But, what about his rights and liabilites before conversion ? There are numerous rights and liabilities. I do not wish to detain the House by detailing the various considerations which may arise on account of this. I simply put it generally that a convert should be a Hindu, subject to all the rights and liabilities he had before the conversion. Suppose there was a non-Hindu possessing rich property, and suppose he is converted to Hinduism. Should you ask him to lose all his property ? If he is to inherit from some one, before conversion, should he lose this inheritance after his conversion. There are laws relevant to this which occur to me, but I only submit that we should preserve all the rights and liabilities acquired by the man who is converted, before his conversion. The status quo of the rights previously acquired should not be disturbed. All those rights should not be lost simply by the conversion. Rights once acquired should not be allowed to be lost.