DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand legislative assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code bill on Wednesday (February 07).
The Uniform Civil Code bill aims to replace the religious personal laws that govern marriage, relationship, inheritance among other issues.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the state’s assembly on Tuesday (February 06).
Notably, Uttarakhand has become the first state in India to have a law on the Uniform Civil Code.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “This law is of equality, uniformity and equal rights. There were many doubts regarding this but the two-day discussion in the assembly clarified everything.”
He said: “This law is not against anyone. It is for the women who have to face difficulty because of the social norms. This will strengthen their self-confidence.”
“This law is for the holistic development of women. The bill is passed. We will send it to the President. We will implement it in the state as a law, as soon as the President signs it,” the Uttarakhand chief minister added.
Earlier, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma promised that the Northeast state will become the second to implement the law.
What is uniform civil code?
The basic idea behind a uniform civil code (UCC) is to put in place a common set of personal laws that governs matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption for all citizens of India, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Implementation of a uniform civil code (UCC) has been one of the promises made and pursued by the ruling BJP.
It may be mentioned here that some sections in the Northeast states have raised objection to proposed implementation of the uniform civil code (UCC).
Strongest of the opposition to proposed implementation of the UCC has come from Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, which are Christian-majority states.
According to article 44 of the Constitution of India, the state shall endeavour to secure a uniform civil code (UCC) for its citizens.
However, the framers of the Constitution left it to the discretion of the government to implement a uniform civil code (UCC).
Over the years, governments under various parties took up the matter for discussions and debates.
But, the topic still remains a hotly contested, contentious and politically sensitive.