DEHRADUN: As a part of Bhartiya Janta Party's election manifesto, the state BJP government has signalled its intention to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by convening a special session in January, preceding the budget session in February.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, the state's finance minister, Premchand Agrawal said, "The State government is poised to take a major step towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code this month. It will hold two sessions of the legislative assembly, including a special session in January, during which it will present the state reservation bill and the UCC bill".
As per sources, the session is expected to be convened following the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Another session is slated for February, which will be dedicated to the budget.
Minister Agrawal stated, "The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code will entail the creation of laws that apply to all religions in the context of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption". The primary objective of the Bill is to establish consistency in personal laws across different religious communities.
The bill will include provisions for gender equality and equal rights for daughters in ancestral property. However, it does not include a provision to increase the legal age of marriage for girls from 18 to 21.
With its implementation, Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code after independence. Earlier, UCC was applicable in Goa. After its liberation in 1961, Goa, with a population of just six lakh at that time, retained the Portuguese Civil Code, making it the only state to have a uniform civil code for all religions.
The Uttarakhand government established an expert committee on May 27, 2022, to implement a uniform civil code in the state and scrutinize laws about personal matters of its citizens. This initiative was announced during the inaugural cabinet meeting following the formation of the BJP government in the state.
Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had announced that once the committee's report is received, a uniform civil code would be implemented in the state. The committee received "substantial suggestions from all sides" that there should be equal laws for children's numbers for all communities and societies.
The committee, chaired by Justice Ranjana Desai, comprises retired Delhi High Court judge Pramod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, former Chief Secretary Shatrughan Singh, and Doon University Vice Chancellor Surekha Dangwal.
Amid mounting tensions surrounding the upcoming session, the state Congress launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP government, labelling it as an electoral gimmick.
Karan Mahara, President of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress, while speaking to The New Indian Express, said, "If the BJP is genuinely committed to the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, they should first secure its passage in the Lok Sabha. Uttarakhand should not serve as a testing ground for this initiative".
"The very term 'Uniform Civil Code' underscores its national significance, transcending the boundaries of any single state", Mahara said.
