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Uniform Civil Code soon? Modi government writes to Law Commission

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Narendra-Modi

In perhaps the biggest move since it came to power, the central government is mulling the introduction of the Uniform Civil Code and has asked the law commission to submit a report to see if implementation is viable in the near future.

Responding to the demand, the law commission has promised to consult stakeholders and political parties before taking a decision. Commission head Balbir Singh Chauhan said he would speak to the stakeholders before submitting a report. Sources however admit the decision would be difficult given the upcoming UP election in 2017.

In the history of Indian Independence, this is the first time that a government has asked the Law Commission to look into the Uniform Civil Code.
Bharatiya Janata Party led government’s move is expected to raise a huge political storm as such a code is often twisted together with a debate on secularism.

If the Act is passed by the Parliament, it would ensure same common personal laws for all citizens.

At present, there are different personal laws for Hindus and Muslims. Personal law covers issues like property, marriage and divorce, inheritance and succession.

Muslim personal laws, on the other hand, stipulate that divorced women could either take financial support from their parental family or from the community. Gandhi’s move angered a large section of Hindus and feminists. This time, Congress adopted a cautious stance while reacting to the Modi government’s pitch for the uniform civil code.

The party, which is passing through one of its worst phases in its political history, welcomed the centre’s step but with a rider: wide-ranging consultations on the touchy issue. “It is a welcome step but there should be discussion on all aspects of the uniform civil code,” said party leader Sandeep Dikshit. He though accepted many countries have successfully unified their personal laws.

The move asking the law panel to examine the issue assumes significance as the Supreme Court had recently said it would prefer a wider debate, in public as well as in court, before taking a decision on the constitutional validity of ‘triple talaq’, which many complain is abused by Muslim men to arbitrarily divorce their wives.

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