What master stroke has Prime Minister Narendra Modi played by renaming the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in his 11th Independence Day speech? He called the existing code in the country as Communal Civil Code and advocated Secular Civil Code in its place. It is said that what is there in a name. But name is everything in politics. Last year the opposition named its alliance India. After this, the NDA government at the Center started promoting the word India. India was destroyed from many places. Just as the opposition had gained an edge over the ruling alliance by naming the alliance India, in the same way the central government is thinking of gaining an edge over the opposition by naming the Universal Civil Code as Secular Civil Code.
This step of PM Modi is being considered as a game changer for BJP in view of the upcoming assembly elections. The Indian Express writes that PM Modi’s allegation appears to be a veiled attack on the secular opposition parties, which have always targeted the BJP’s UCC agenda. In fact, after the Shah Bano decision of the Supreme Court in 1985, the way former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s government disregarded the decision of the Supreme Court by making a law, since then the BJP has been raising the demand for UCC on a large scale. Many parties in the country have been taking votes from the Muslim community by making them afraid of the UCC, but have been turning a blind eye to the benefits it would bring. Now the ball is in the opposition’s court. Bharatiya Janata Party has got an opportunity to attack the opposition in the upcoming assembly elections.
Naming it a secular code will bring support from the so-called secular people of the country.
The simple thing is that just by changing the name to secular code, the so-called liberals of the country are not going to support it. But yes, it is definitely going to be difficult for them. And it is also that BJP would not want the liberal brigade and the opposition to support the secular code. Because if the opposition and liberals brigade support this law, then BJP will not even get a chance to do politics. It would be good for BJP if everyone together opposes the secular civil code.
Veer Sanghvi once wrote that it is surprising that even those who show respect for Nehru and Ambedkar reject the appeal of these two leaders for a common civil code. Ramachandra Guha is not a Hindu communalist but in 2016 he wrote – ‘I believe that leftist intellectuals who oppose the Uniform Civil Code are denying the progressive legacy of socialist and feminist movements in India and around the world. Whether they admit it or not, they appear to be advocating the status quo, whose tortured and confused arguments serve only the interests of Muslim men and Islamic mullahs.
When Guha wrote this, the debate was going on at an intellectual level. Today it is more on the ground of reality. Modi government could not bring a Uniform Civil Code even before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but now it is going to enter the field with full preparation. Actually, among the special targets of BJP, Ram Mandir, Dhar 370 have been completed. Only the Uniform Civil Code is left. Obviously the government will try to finish this work soon.
BJP can call it constitutional and attack those who talk about saving the constitution.
UCC has a constitutional vision of gender-just reforms and uniformity in personal laws. This is the reason that during 1947-50, many members of the Constituent Assembly wanted that there should be a proper provision for this in the Constitution. An important section of the leadership of the freedom struggle was in the hands of progressive people. Perhaps this was the reason why the Constituent Assembly decided to move towards uniformity in personal laws determining marriage and succession. Prominent leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and BR Ambedkar wanted a Uniform Civil Code to be implemented. But this could not happen.
On PM Modi’s talk of bringing secularism from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Dilip Mandal writes on Now it will stop. It has been too late to fulfill the dream of the Constitution makers and especially Baba Saheb of Uniform Civil.
In his address at the Red Fort today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has talked about fulfilling the dream of a civil law. The nation should welcome it. This is necessary to make the rules of marriage, family and inheritance uniform. In Article 44 of the Constitution, the responsibility of making a Uniform Civil Code has been given to the government. But due to political reasons that work was not completed. Baba Saheb’s speech in the Constituent Assembly should be read about why laws related to family, marriage, divorce and inheritance should not be separate. Uniform Civil Code was Baba Saheb’s proposal. But it could not be implemented due to opposition from Muslim members.
The biggest reason for this was that the Constituent Assembly had decided that everything would be done by consensus. This obligation is not before the Parliament. Parliament runs on majority and in some cases two-thirds majority. Therefore, the framers of the Constitution gave this task to the Parliament. This will open the way for the liberation of many women. It is hoped that the present Parliament will fulfill that historical responsibility and Baba Saheb’s dream will come true.
What I mean to say is that during the last Lok Sabha elections, the opposition proved BJP to be anti-constitutional by spreading false propaganda. Due to which the party was generally deprived of the votes of the Dalit section. Now if BJP brings it in Parliament, it will get a chance to call its opponents anti-constitutional.
Government has made progress on secular civil code
The kind of protest that the government has seen on the Waqf Bill, it is expected that such protest will not happen on the Secular Civil Code. Just as Congress has never openly opposed the CAA, it is understood that it is not going to make a mistake on the Secular Civil Code too. One mistake of former PM Rajiv Gandhi has proved costly for Congress till now. In the Shah Bano case, Rajiv Gandhi had spoiled his modern image by making a law against the court’s decision. The kind of opposition that was expected from the opposition is not visible yet. No one is protesting in that way that they will not allow it to be implemented. Or will they protest by taking to the streets. See the statement of Congress leaders.
Congress leader Pawan Kheda says that PM Modi called Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Civil Code as communal code. The reaction of former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid is also around the Constitution. He has said that the Constitution is the biggest. Whatever the Constitution allows will happen. Similarly, the main focus of former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and BSP chief Mayawati is on calling Baba Saheb’s Constitution communal. No one is saying that they will come out on the streets and protest. Just like the decision taken by Congress on Dalit sub-quota, it is expected that the party is going to take the same decision on Secular Civil Code also.