Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The northern state of Uttarakhand is slated to be the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Monday (January 27), Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced.
He said the move aims to bring uniformity to society and ensure equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens.
The state’s move to enact the law has been severely criticised in political circles.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly opposed the UCC implementation, alleging that the law is not truly uniform as it excludes certain aspects of Hindu personal laws and tribal communities.
Owaisi questioned the credibility of the UCC, stating, “It can’t be called a Uniform Civil Code when exceptions are being made for the Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, and tribal communities. How is this uniform? This law is only targeting the weddings and divorces of Muslims.”
However, the chief minister maintains that the UCC is a significant step towards creating a harmonious and self-reliant nation, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s development. “The Uniform Civil Code is an offering from Uttarakhand in the great ‘yagya’ being performed by the prime minister to build an organised and developed country,” he remarked.
Dhami highlighted that the UCC aims to eliminate discrimination in personal civil laws related to caste, religion, and gender. It seeks to establish uniform rules for marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance, ensuring equality for all citizens, with the exception of scheduled tribes.
Registration of all marriages and live-in relationships will also be mandatory under the UCC.
Dhami said all preparations in this regard have been completed, including approval of rules and training of officials. The UCC Act was officially notified on March 12, last year after an assent from President Droupadi Murmu.
The UCC has long been part of the BJP’s national agenda, but Uttarakhand is the first state to take concrete steps toward its implementation. The move follows the BJP’s commitment to implementing the UCC during its campaign for the 2022 assembly elections, in which the party secured a second consecutive term in power.
The state cabinet recently approved the necessary rules and regulations and authorised the chief minister to decide the implementation date. Chief Minister Dhami had earlier promised that 2025, the silver jubilee year of Uttarakhand’s statehood, would be marked by significant achievements.
Speaking on New Year’s Day, he declared January as the implementation month for the UCC, stating, “The Gangotri of UCC will spring from Uttarakhand and spread to the rest of the country.” — With inputs from Agencies
