While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has already declared “in-principle" support for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has consistently been raising questions and asking for the fine print.
The UCC means one law which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance, among others. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week said India needed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as the country could not run with the dual system of “separate laws for separate communities", the Uttarakhand government said its draft with provisions for the age of girls for marriage and conditions for live-in relationships, among others, was ready and would be implemented soon.
On the probability of the Uttarakhand UCC becoming the template for the entire country, the AAP leader has adopted a cautious and sceptical tone. “The entire country is confused. We said that we want to support the UCC in principle, as mentioned in Section 44 in the Constitution. Secondly, earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pushed the Goa UCC asking for the same to be implemented across the country. The Goa UCC states that if a Hindu wife is unable to bear a child, the husband is allowed to marry again. If the BJP passes this as a law in Parliament, their wives will run to beat them up with ‘belans’. What kind of law are you planning to bring in," Singh asked.
Singh added: “We do not know what is written in the Uttarakhand UCC. If it is drafted on the template of the Goa UCC, it will give rise to a peculiar problem."
OF HINDUS & STATES
Indicating that wide-ranging consultations were required before the UCC can be implemented across the country, Singh emphasised on the differences in the personal laws and states.
“We have Article 371 under which Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, Arunachal, Meghalaya, and many states in the North-East have the right to follow their religious and local customs. When it comes to land, they have unique rights. Sikhism has the Anand Marriage Act, 2012. Jains won the minority status after a long struggle. We have Buddhists and Parsis. How will you cover all of them?"
Talking about how the Uniform Civil Code will affect the Hindus, Singh said, “Under the Hindu Undivided Family Act, Hindu families get relief in taxes, which Muslims, Sikhs and Christians don’t get. Will you deprive crores of Hindu families of this special tax relief?"
The Rajya Sabha MP reiterated the need for the draft to be put in the public domain as it can give clarity to each religion and community.
ON N-E
About MP Sushil Kumar Modi’s remarks that North-Eastern and tribal areas will be excluded from the UCC, Singh remarked, “I have respect for Sushil Kumar Modiji, but he is not Narendra Modi. He is the Chairman of the standing committee. He can give recommendations. There are many standing committees in Parliament. I am also a member of one. We give thousands of suggestions to the government, the government may agree on one or two."
He also pointed out that the BJP’s allies in the North-Eastern states are opposed to the UCC. “Yesterday, the NDPP, with whose support you are in the government in Nagaland, opposed it. Did their five ministers resign? In Meghalaya, Sangma has opposed the UCC, did the BJP ministers resign? The Mizoram government has opposed the UCC. There is no preparation."
On the question of the opposition being divided on various issues, the AAP MP argued that the BJP was rattled following the June 23 meeting of opposition leaders. “Just after one meeting in Patna, the PM launched a two-hour attack in Bhopal," said Singh.
Interestingly, Singh refrained from mentioning the Muslim community while talking of the UCC.
ON GENDER EQUALITY
Taking a dig at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Singh argued that it was the RSS which had burnt effigies of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and demanded the latter’s resignation when Dr Ambedkar had framed the Hindu Code Bill in 1955, which gave rights to women and outlawed polygamy among Hindus. “When Ambedkar was fighting these customs, the RSS, which is the ancestor of the BJP, had kicked up a storm across the country and forced Babasaheb to resign", Singh said.
Singh also hit back at the BJP on the latter’s claim that the UCC will pave the way for gender justice. “The bill for 33% reservation for women is pending in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas. You (the BJP) don’t act for women wrestlers protesting in Jantar Mantar…," argued Singh.
ON MANN’s STATEMENT
Responding to a question on the Uniform Civil Code, Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann listed the customs followed by different communities in the country and compared India to a bouquet. “Should there be only one colour in a bouquet," he asked. “I don’t know why they are tinkering with these customs? Don’t break down communities into tribes. …Kaum ko kabilon mei mat baantiye, lambe safar ko milon mein mat bantiye. My country is a flowing river. Don’t divide it between streams and lakes."
Later in the day, when asked when asked about Mann’s statement on UCC, Singh replied, “This is not about the UCC. This is about distracting attention from the rising prices of tomatoes, violence in Manipur, failure to provide 18 crore jobs, pucca houses, fighting black money and more. They are talking about the UCC to distract from real issues. I have been saying that from day 1. I heard Mann’s comments just now. In the Anand Marriage Act, Sikhs have their own tradition and have been given special rights. So is the case with Jains, Buddhists and Adivasis."
Going a step further, Singh alleged that the introduction of UCC is the beginning of the end of reservations in the country. “Although the country’s capital is Delhi, the capital of BJP is Nagpur and their chief in Nagpur has already said that in this country, reservations for Dalits, Backward classes and Adivasis should end. So this is not the UCC, this is the beginning of the end reservations. Tomorrow, you will, in the name of ‘one nation, one law’, say ‘reservations ends, all are equal’."
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