NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday asked the government on the action taken by it on Law Commission of India’s document on Uniform Civil Code wherein the panel had opined that UCC “is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage”. Quoting the panel’s document, Ramesh said that the world recognises differences in religion and there should be codification in each religion rather than a UCC.
Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention in Rajya Sabha, Ramesh said the Law Commission, acting on a reference made by the government in 2016, had on August 31, 2018 floated a consultation paper on Reform of Family Law. The consultation paper covered topics of marriage and divorce, custody and guardianship, adoption and maintenance and success and inheritance, he said.
Ramesh also requested Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to allot time to discuss the issue. “We have been discussing this for years together, we need to discuss this further. Now the Uniform Civil Code, common civil code is being suggested. One has to discuss it. The House, one of the days...we will think about it,” Naidu said while responding..
The topic assumes importance as the UCC has been a key political issue, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) being committed to implement it. In the 185-page consultation paper, the Commission has dealt with laws that are discriminatory “rather than providing a uniform civil code which is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage,” he said.
He said the Commission at para 1.15 of the consultation paper stated that “While diversity of Indian culture can and should be celebrated, specific groups, or weaker sections of society must not be dis-privileged in the process.Resolution of this conflict does not mean abolition of difference. Commission has therefore dealt with laws that are discriminatory rather than providing a UCC, paper stated.