New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has said in a statement that the Uniform Civil Code is unacceptable not only to Muslims but also to various groups of the majority community including other minorities and tribals, implementing the recent steps of Uttarakhand and Gujarat for elections. For. Uniformity in Personal Law
In a statement issued on Monday, AIMPLB general secretary Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said issues like the UCC come up during elections to “hide the failures of governance”.
He said that the Fundamental Rights embodied the spirit of the Constitution and guaranteed the right of individuals to practice their chosen religion, worship according to it and strive for its spread. This is why personal laws are protected in law, he said.
He compared efforts to implement the UCC to prohibition, which, he pointed out, was also a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy, but was not enacted into law in the country.
“Social and family laws define the identities of different groups. If their identity is questioned, it cannot be tolerated. Various groups practicing their personal laws in this country predate the arrival of the British. The British also allowed that situation to continue and there was no hindrance in it for years after independence. If the people of the country wanted a uniform civil code, the Special Marriage Act would have been the chosen personal law of the country. But it hasn’t happened. On the other hand, even now, citizens have the right to choose between their personal laws and the Special Marriage Act,” Rahmani said in his statement.
Rahmani’s remarks came days after the Gujarat government announced setting up of a committee to look into the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the state. Assembly elections are due in the state later this year.
UCC was also promised in the year, just before going to Uttarakhand Election, After the election, a committee was formed to investigate it.
“UCC was intended for practices like polyandry”
Rahmani said that forceful implementation of UCC will affect the unity and brotherhood of the country. He claimed to include the UCC Directive Principles of State Policy Mainly aimed at tribal practices that have an impact on culture and health. He cited the example of polyandry as one of the practices the UCC aimed to eliminate.
“The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has already conveyed to the Uttarakhand government through people and religious organizations that UCC is not acceptable and the board will oppose it at the national level along with other minority organizations. We are already in touch with various Sikh, Christian and Buddhist bodies.”
He said: “Issues like UCC come up during elections because governments use it to hide their failures. They create an atmosphere of hatred. That’s why we appeal to the government to focus on the real issues of the country and not. That on such useless issues.”
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