Thread by @tathagata2

Pandit Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar’s birthday today. I think his role as a reformer of Hindu society was greater than that as an educator. By legitimizing Hindu widow remarriage based on ancient Hindu scriptures he had taken Hindu society quite a few paces ahead. The mark of a

dynamic religion is its capacity to evolve with time and not remain tied in the past. It is in these reforms that the greatness of Hindutva lies.

It began with Raja Ram Mohun Roy who outlawed Sutee or widow-burning. Then came Ram Narayan Tarkaratna who ridiculed the practice of

‘Kulin’ marrying several wives, sometimes up to 80 or 90. Vidyasagar’s greatness lay in his wrapping up all these and mounting a concerted attack on traditionalists. The practice of widows remarrying is still not in vogue to that extent, though Sir Asutosh Mookerjee got

his widowed daughter married a second time. Then Har Bilas Sarda of Ajmer got child marriages outlawed. Then came the Hindu Code Bill outlawing multiple marriages among Hindus; but Nehru the chicken-hearted did not introduce any Muslim Code Bill.
Now the nation is waiting

and looking up to our great leader Narendrabhai who has introduced far-reaching reforms like abrogating Art 370. But what the nation is waiting for is the Uniform Civil Code!
Just as we have a Uniform Criminal Code,whereby a Hindu thief and a Muslim thief are

subject to the same punishment; so also Muslim women must not be subjected to the humiliating status of being a ‘tilling field’ for their husbands; nor subjected to being inside a moving tent called ‘Burqa’ in the hottest of summers. Little children must be taught that all

religions must be respected. Concepts like Jihad and Kafir must be outlawed as Untouchability was outlawed by Art 17 of the Constitution. Only thus shall we be able to do justice to the legacy of reformers like Ram Mohun, Vidyasagar and Sarda.

Vande Mataram. Bharat Mata ki Jai.