Appeal To Fill In The UCC Questionnaire

Dear Editor,

Article 44 of the Directive Principles of the Indian Constitution specifies that “The State shall endeavour to secure for its Citizens a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the territory of India”. This was part of the present Government’s manifesto but was being played on a low-key. However, with multiple cases pending against the practice of ‘Tripple Talaaq’, as stipulated by the Sharia Law, the need for a UCC is being actively considered by the Union Government. Towards this end the Law Commission of India has drawn up “a questionnaire to solicit opinions and ideas of the public at large about the ways in which family law reforms could be introduced in the most integrative manner that does not compromise the diversity and the plurality that constitutes the core of India’s social fabric”.

This questionnaire was uploaded on the website of the Law Commission under an Appeal Letter dated 7th Oct, 2016, seeking contribution towards social and legal reforms from religious groups, social groups, minority groups, etc including individuals, within 45 days of the date of Appeal. The date is well passed but the undersigned has ascertained from the Law Commission that replies may be sent in even after the last date. The Appeal along with the Questionnaire was sent to the Chief Ministers of all States with a request to use their ”good offices to encourage stake holders in the state viz, the religious and minority groups, NGOs, civil society etc to share their views and interact” with the Law Commission. Which will in turn enable the Commission in coming out with an” impeacable recommendation on the implementation of the UCC”.

The UCC may include aspects of marriage, divorce, adoption, conversion, guardianship and custody, maintenance, successions, inheritance etc. Each of these are critical to our exclusivity, both genetic and ritual as also our ethnicity. Through your columns, I call upon our religious scholars, both from the clergy as well as the laity, as also our legal luminaries to study this Questionnaire which is available on the Law Commission website and send their response at the earliest. This can be sent by individuals or groups like Anjumans, Community Associations, Social Groups, Religious Groups etc.

Let us not lose out by default.

Commodore Medioma Bhada (Retd)
mrbhada@gmail.com