U’khand cabinet gives nod to bring Uniform Civil Code
A committee headed by a retired Supreme Court or high court judge will be formed to implement UCC
DEHRADUN: The state cabinet, in its first meeting after the ruling BJP retained power, on Thursday passed a proposal to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state. A committee headed by a retired Supreme Court or high court judge will be formed for the purpose.
After chairing the cabinet meeting, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told media persons that on February 12, he had announced that implementation of UCC will be the first decision the BJP government after coming to power. “So, we have decided to form a committee of experts which will prepare a draft in this regard. We took this decision in the cabinet with full consensus”, he said.
Dhami said Article 44 of the Constitution also empowers the state governments to implement UCC. “This decision has been taken so that there is same law for everyone here. We didn’t announce this for any electoral advantage,” he said.
The Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, states, “The state shall endeavor to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of
India.” He said Uttarakhand was a vibrant state whose culture and heritage have been at the core of Indian civilization for centuries. “Uttarakhand is a ‘Devbhoomi’ for Indians, which has been the centre of knowledge and spirituality. People from every corner of India come to Uttarakhand with great faith and devotion. Therefore, it is important to protect the cultural-spiritual heritage of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand is also the origin of Mother Ganga, the centre of faith of 130 crore people. The Himalayas, the crown of India, and the nature that flourishes in its womb are the heritage of Uttarakhand. Therefore, protecting the environment is also important in Uttarakhand.”
Dhami further added that
Uttarakhand is also a very important state from the strategic point of view for the country. “Being connected to the international borders of two countries, the geographical and strategic importance of this state increases greatly for India. Therefore, the role of Uttarakhand is also important for the defence of the nation,” he said.
Responding to the development, Congress state vice president Suryakant Dhasmana said instead of taking up the issues like unemployment, checking inflation, hill migration, the BJP government has taken up UCC first. “It is really sad. And it shows what their priorities are. They polarised the election and now they have started the new innings with this issue,” he said.
Senior Uttarakhand high court advocate Kartikeya Hari Gupta said the state government can do it as it has the jurisdiction for it in the Constitution along with the Centre.
“There is a directive principle in the Constitution which endeavours that the Union and states should bring UCC for all citizens within the territory of country. Apart from this, issues related to marriage, divorce and property are domain of states,” said Gupta. Political analyst SMA Kazmi said as Uttarakhand has over 13% Muslim population, implementing UCC will create practical problems. “What will happen in case Muslims from the state who go to other state for jobs? Or Muslims from other states who come here. Will it still be applicable to them?...”