UCC Act
The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the country and the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir have been on the agenda since the days of the Jan Sangh. The BJP took this approach after its foundation was laid. The BJP has made progress on ideological issues like Ram Mandir, Article 370 and UCC. So far, the dream of Ram temple and abrogation of Article 370 has been realized. Now, the only task facing the BJP and the Modi government is to implement the Uniform Civil Code into law.
When the Supreme Court found a way to build a Rama temple in Ayodhya, the Modi government abrogated Article 370 and took a step towards “one nation, one election” through Parliament. But a separate plan has been developed to legally implement the UCC. As for the UCC, the BJP is following the strategy of advancing through the assembly rather than parliamentary lines. Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself stated this in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Our constitution talks about the Uniform Civil Code
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed clear views on the Uniform Civil Code during a discussion on the Constitution in the Union House. Amit Shah said that under Article 44 of our Constitution, we talked about the Uniform Civil Code. This could not be a reality in the country because the first Prime Minister of the country (Jawaharlal Nehru) brought Muslim personal laws. I ask Congress, in a secular country, shouldn’t there be one law for all groups?
Amit Shah said the Congress started the politics of appeasement after enacting the Muslim Personal Law. You (Congress) cannot propose a Uniform Civil Code because you cannot rise above the politics of appeasement. The Supreme Court has discussed bringing the UCC several times, but Congress has delayed it each time. He said that the BJP government implemented UCC in Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand government has adopted the Uniform Civil Code as a model law and similarly, the Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in all states ruled by the BJP.
What does UCC mean?
The Uniform Civil Code means that all citizens (people of all religions, castes, genders) living in the country have the same laws. If any state implemented a civil code, then every citizen would have uniform laws on all matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption of children, and division of property. To date, Muslims have a Muslim Personal Law under which they decide on marriage, divorce and property distribution. The BJP has been demanding “one country, one law” since the days of Jan Sangh. The Supreme Court has also repeatedly asked the government to take steps in this direction.
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is once again at the center of the discussion. During the constitutional discussion two days ago, Prime Minister Modi talked about the constitutional importance of a secular civil code and hinted at the formulation of a unified civil code. Earlier, on August 15, Prime Minister Modi said from the walls of the Red Fort that laws that divide the country in the name of religion should be abolished. The country needs a secular civil code, wrong laws have no place in modern society.
Meanwhile, during the constitutional discussion, Amit Shah revealed the strategy of implementing the ideological agenda of the BJP by talking about implementing UPC in other BJP-ruled states like Uttarakhand. In addition to this, he also revealed which route he will take to get to UCC. Amit Shah has made it clear that he will implement UCC in the BJP-ruled Uttarakhand region. In this case, it is believed that just like 370 and a country, a country will implement its agenda through parliament and not parliament.
Many parties disagree with NDA
The UCC is undoubtedly on the agenda of the BJP, but many parties in the NDA disagree. From JDU to TDP, even Chirag Paswan’s parties are not on the same page. It will not be easy for the UCC bill to be passed in Parliament as the BJP will win less than a majority of seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The UCC requires a two-thirds majority to pass, as is the case with bills covering one election in a country. Considering the political compulsion of Muslim votes, it will be difficult for the JDU and TDP to support the BJP on this issue. That is why the BJP is taking the parliamentary route and not the parliamentary route.
Uttarakhand has become a model for the implementation of UCC among the BJP-ruled states. During the 2022 assembly elections, the BJP had promised to implement the UCC if it formed the government in Uttarakhand. As promised, Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami first formed a five-member UCC committee and implemented the UCC based on its recommendations. Uttarakhand has become a model state for a BJP-ruled state.
Preparations to introduce UCC to Assam
Following Uttarakhand, the BJP government in Assam is also preparing to introduce the UCC Bill in Parliament. Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sarma recently announced the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code. The Government of Rajasthan has also announced the introduction of UCC, while the Government of Gujarat has also taken steps to introduce the UCC Bill. The UCC model in Uttarakhand has proven helpful in the BJP-ruled state as well. Amit Shah’s statement lays a solid foundation in this direction.
Currently, the BJP governments are in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, Tripura , Manipur, Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh. The UCC has been implemented in Goa and the BJP has also implemented it in Uttarakhand. In this case, if the BJP succeeds in implementing the UCC even in the states it rules, it will be implemented in most parts of the country. In this way, the BJP can demonstrate to the country a model of unified competition through the states it rules.
Besides setting an example for joint committees between the country and other opposition parties in BJP-ruled states, it could also win the trust of allies. The BJP will also win the trust of the TDP in Andhra Pradesh and the JDU in Bihar. In this case, it will serve as an example for the opposition parties and the PPP will also be able to exert political pressure on them. Thereafter, the BJP can take steps in the direction of the UCC at the national level.
