11 Jan 1950: Dr. Ambedkar addressed the 2^nd session of Siddharth College Parliament in Bombay (present Mumbai). At another function which he addressed he was presented with a golden casket containing a copy of India’s constitution by the Bombay SC Federation.

After his great triumph in the Constituent Assembly in spearheading the preparation of Constitution of India, Dr. Ambedkar returned to Bombay but brought with him a new battle cry, the Hindu Code Bill which he had revised & submitted to the Constituent Assembly in October 1948. Work on revising & codifying Hindu Law had been going on for the last ten years. Dr. Ambedkar transformed it & parts of the Code Bill relating to joint family & women’s property became a nightmare to most Members of the Select Committee.

As soon as Dr. Ambedkar touched the Code & became its spokesman intelligentsia all over India was driven into two camps, on one side was Manu & other Dr. Ambedkar. Dr. Ambedkar started the war on 11 January 1950 when he addressed the 2nd session of the Siddharth College Parliament in Bombay. He said that it would be wrong to describe the bill as either radical or revolutionary. He said the Bill do not oppose orthodox practices while according sanction to new ways of progress. He said the govt must endeavor to prepare a Civil Code for the benefit of the country as a whole and the Hindu Code was a step in that direction. He said it was beneficial from the country’s oneness that the same set of laws should govern Hindu social & religious life. He said the modifications were based on Hindu Shastras & Smritis.

On this day he was presented with a golden casket containing a copy of India’s constitution by the Bombay SC Federation. He said he has been branded as a pro-Muslim & pro-British leader. He hoped that this work would help Hindus to understand him better & show how the accusations hurled at him were untrue.