Uttarakhand state government is all set to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) within the next two months. This was one of the major pre-poll promises made by the BJP.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had called for UCC in February and had told the 70-member assembly that “the security of cultural and religious heritage of Uttarakhand, its environment and borders is important not just for the state but for the entire country”.
With its implementation, Uttarakhand will become the first Indian state to have this rather controversial law. However, apart from Uttarakhand, Goa has a Goa Civil Code that has been in place since the Portuguese times. This is also considered to be a form of the Uniform Civil Code.
In Goa, irrespective of religious identities, all Goans are bound by the same laws regarding marriage, divorce, and succession.
A five-member committee headed by retired SC judge, Justice Ranjana Desai. Other members of the committee include Uttarakhand HC’s Justice (retd) Pramod Kohli, former senior bureaucrat Shatrughan Singh, social activist Manu Gaur and Doon University V-C Surekha Dangwal.
The five-member panel held the first meeting at Uttarakhand Sadan in New Delhi on July 4, 2022. The minutes of the meeting were not disclosed. The committee will start talking to stakeholders for a study of cases where existing laws have been “exploited” by people for their own benefit.
The Uttarakhand government announced its decision to implement the Uniform Civil Code in the state on May 27
Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur had also announced on May 2 that the UCC will be brought into the state soon.
Religious minorities i.e., Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain, and Zoroastrians have a fear that UCC will destroy their religious practices and they will be complied to follow the religious practice of majorities.
This decision has evoked a strong reaction from the All India Muslim Personal Board. They have claimed that efforts are made to destroy the religious and cultural identity of Muslims.
Ms Kalinga