Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s Unfinished Revolution: Women’s Rights and the Politics of the Hindu Code Bill

Abstract

The Hindu Code Bill represents one of the most significant yet contentious attempts to reform personal laws in modern India, particularly in advancing women’s rights within a deeply patriarchal social structure. Introduced under the leadership of B. R. Ambedkar, the Bill sought to transform Hindu personal law by granting women rights to property, inheritance, divorce, and adoption. This paper critically examines the ideological foundations, political resistance, and long-term implications of the Hindu Code Bill. It argues that the Bill was not merely a legal reform but a radical project aimed at dismantling gender inequality rooted in caste and religious traditions. By situating the Bill within Ambedkar’s broader philosophy of social justice, the study highlights its enduring relevance in contemporary debates on gender equality in India.