DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE HINDU CODE BILL 849
coincidence, by a strange freak of fate, the delay is attributed to me. I think it is quite unnecessary to take it up and discuss it. So far as this matter is concerned, as Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya said on one occasion, dilatory tactics are permissible. If any Member is satisfied that a Bill must be opposed, dilatory tactics are permissible. He may oppose—so long as he may—fairly, and even unfairly, if he must. I submit that I do not take recourse to this extreme step. I believe that the Bill is a controversial one and therefore some amount of controversy is inevitable. The controversy is embedded in the Bill itself.
Dr. Deshmukh (Madhya Pradesh) : In Dr. Ambedkar ?
Shri Naziruddin Ahmad : Yes, of course. When the draft Bill was circulated, the Hindu Law Commission went round the country and collected a large number of opinions. The opinions were preponderantly against the Bill. These very women who are supposed to be anxious to liberate themselves through this Bill opposed the sittings of that Commission in different places in large numbers.
Shri Tyagi (Uttar Pradesh) : Clause 2 is now under discussion; what has all this to do with it ?
Mr. Speaker : The Chair is taking care of it. But if hon. Members want to do so, they may ; but in that case his speech will be prolonged and may go on till tomorrow evening. Therefore, let him go on in his own way. If he is irrelevant, the Chair will stop him.
Shri Naziruddin Ahmad : Sir, it is these interruptions which certainly create a certain amount of difficulty. When a question is asked, it certainly requires an answer. After all I am accustomed to these interruptions and nothing is more acceptable to me than these interruptions.
Sir, clause 2 is a very important one because it deals with the application of the Code. Many amendments have been suggested to this clause, the underlying idea of all of them being to prevent its universal application straightaway, considering the magnitude of the legislation, I for one feel that the house should take serious consideration of the suggestion to proceed slowly and to adapt the Bill to suit local conditions. If that is done, the impact of the Bill would be more tolerable and the objections would largely vanish.
Sir, I have done.