Who Opposed Hindu Code Bill That Lead To Ambedkar's Resignation?
The participation of Shyama prasad Mukherjee, the Hindu maha Sabha, the RSS, and other Hindutva organizations is another question that experts raise.
Armed with degrees such as an MA, Ph.D., D Litt, and D Sc., B R Ambedkar returned from the united states and resolved to eradicate or at least lessen caste prejudice, poverty, and inequality in Hindu society.
In april 1947, before independence, the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly's Drafting Committee submitted the Hindu Code Bill, marking a significant step in that direction.
Ambedkar made significant changes by the planned legislation in an attempt to change the dominant society. In addition to outlawing polygamy for Hindu males, he suggested legislation that would allow widows, sons, and daughters to inherit equally, give women the opportunity to file for divorce and permit widow remarriage.
Additionally, he proposed the innovative measure of dissolving caste-based marriages.
Irrespective of what the bjp says today, Nehru not only supported the bill, he declared, "I will die or swim with the Hindu Code Bill."
However, the Hindu Code Bill expired by the time the Constitution was finalized in november 1949 and went into force in january 1950.
It was stated that because the members of the Constituent assembly and the Interim government were not elected and did not speak for the majority, they should not enact a measure that may permanently alter the majority society.
The Hindu Code Bill Is Opposed by Shyama prasad Mukherjee
The law was fiercely opposed by Shyama prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha, and the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the BJP's forerunner.
Hindu maha Sabha, Jansangh, and RSS Are Against the Bill
Hindutva groups that opposed the measure, including the Bharatiya Jansangh, Hindu Mahasabha, and Rashtriya Syamsevak Sangh, staged large-scale statewide demonstrations. On december 11, 1949, the RSS staged a sizable protest against the law at Delhi's ram Lila Park.
With the backing of conservative attorneys, Hindu priests, and Hindutva organizations, including the former bjp, the Anti-Hindu Code Bill Committee was established. The Dwarka Shankaracharya supported the Hindu Code Bill wholeheartedly.
"May Pandit Nehru perish" and "Down with Hindu Code Bill" were among the cries they screamed. Nehru and Dr. Ambedkar's effigies were also set on fire by the demonstrators.
In New Delhi, groups of RSS volunteers marched, yelled anti-Hindu Code Bill chants, and threatened to be arrested. Slogans like "Pakistan tod do, Nehru Hakumat Chhod Do" were also chanted by them.
The fight against the law was led by Swami Karpatriji Maharaj, a Hindu saint and the founder of the akhil Bharatiya ram Rajya Parishad.
The fact that Ambedkar was leading the bill particularly irritated him. He publicly stated that an "untouchable" had no business becoming involved in topics that were the domain of the Brahmins, making explicit allusions to the law minister's caste.
He publicly challenged Dr. Ambedkar to a discussion on his readings of the Shastras during a lecture he gave in Delhi. Swami Karpatri cited the third verse of the third chapter of the third part of Yagnavalkya's Smriti discussing marriage to refute Ambedkar's assertion that the Shastras did not support polygamy.