DEHRADUN: For its 12.5 million residents, Uttarakhand is poised to become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) after Independence. Government sources said a special committee on the UCC will submit its draft to the government on February 2, which will be tabled in the state Assembly in a special session on February 5.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal told this newspaper that the Assembly secretariat has issued a notification for the upcoming session. The 4-day session is scheduled begin on February 5 at the Dehradun Assembly building. “The government plans to introduce the UCC and the 10% horizontal reservation bill in government services for state agitators and their dependents.
Speaking to this newspaper, state parliamentary affairs minister Prem Chand Agrawal said: “The UCC enforcement will necessitate the formulation of laws that are universally applicable across all religious denominations, particularly in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption.” The aim of the proposed legislation is to ensure uniformity in personal laws across religious communities.
Speaking to this newspaper, Sunita Borai, the state BJP spokesperson said acceptance of the UCC is an essential aspect of being a responsible citizen. She stressed that religion should be a personal matter and no individual should have the privilege of having multiple wives, unilaterally divorcing them, depriving daughters and wives of their rightful inheritance, under the guise of religious practices.
“These actions are distortions of religious principles and should not be tolerated,” she said, cautioning against misusing of religious beliefs as a means to exerting power. She said India’s status as an independent nation does not grant individuals the freedom to manipulate their faith.