AFTER MOTHER INDIA

widows, as given. IE the Legislative Assembly in 1927,
reached over 20,200,000.*

The Select Committee which examined the Widow
Remarriage Bill at the time of its origin reported
having received twenty-three petitions signed by 5,191
Hindus in favour of the proposed measure, and twenty-
eight petitions signed by 55,746 Hindus against the
measure—a majority of over ten to one against the
reform.2 One of the majority petitions quotes no less
than eight Hindu 'bibles' and holy law-givers, each
to this effect:

Him to whom her father 4ias given her or her
brother with the paternal assent, let her obse-
quiously honour, while he lives ; and when he dies
let her never neglect him.

Let her emaciate her body, by living voluntarily
on pure flowers, roots, and fruit; but let her not,
when her lord is deceased, even pronounce the
name of another man.

Let her emaciate till death forgiving all in-
juries, performing harsh duties, avoiding every
sensual pleasure, and cheerfully practising the
incomparable rules of virtue, which have been fol-
lowed by such women as were devoted to one only
husband.8

But the Honourable Mr. J. P. Grant, introducing
the bill, is reported as saying :

Every candid Hindu would admit that, in the

1 Legislative Assembly Debates, September isth, 1927, p. 4,413.

2 The Indian Social Reformer, Bombay, August nth, 1928, p.
795- 8 Ibid., pp. 781-782.