Guwahati:
Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to implement UCC, but the Chief Minister of another hill state has ruled out a similar step. The implementation of Uniform Civil Code is neither practical nor appropriate, given the country’s diverse cultural and tribal communities, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said today.
He, however, acknowledged that certain aspects of civil laws could be made uniform while protecting the rights of indigenous communities.
Pointing at Uttarakhand, which became the first state to implement the UCC while excluding tribal customs from its purview, Mr Sangma said in a country as diverse as India, a Uniform Civil Code is not viable.
His statement comes amid growing debates on the UCC, with Assam expressing interest in following Uttarakhand’s lead in implementing the code.
“A Uniform Civil Code, as a concept of making sure that everything becomes uniform, is not possible in India,” Mr Sangma said.
“There are tribal and indigenous communities with unique practices that may not align with the uniformity. To impose uniformity on every aspect of life, across all communities, would not be correct,” he added.
To explain the situation, he further added: “If a bill at the national or state level were to declare that the entire country should adopt a matrilineal system, Meghalaya would support that, because we are a matrilineal society. It all depends on the content of the bill – what aspects are being made uniform and in what way”.
“For us, as a state government, we are very clear. The Uniform Civil Code is not on our agenda. We respect the diverse identities of our tribal communities, and their traditional practices must be protected,” he added.
Mr Sangma had made it clear earlier also that his government will not support the UCC.
Two years ago, a tribal council in Meghalaya unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the implementation of the UCC in areas within its jurisdiction.
Uttarakhand has become the first state in India to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), aiming to simplify and standardize personal laws related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.
The UCC applies to all residents of Uttarakhand, except Scheduled Tribes and protected authority-empowered persons and communities.