Gujarat Moves Forward on Uniform Civil Code (UCC)
Formation of UCC Panel:
- Gujarat government has formed a five-member committee to assess the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and draft a law.
- Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai heads the panel.
Timing of the Announcement:
- The UCC promise was first made before the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections.
- The committee’s formation comes a day before the Delhi elections and two weeks before Gujarat’s local body polls.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s Statement:
- Patel reaffirmed his government’s commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of implementing UCC across India.
- He stated, “Bharatiyata (Indianness) is our religion, and the Constitution is our holy book.”
- He emphasized that the Constitution guides citizens in performing their “nagrik dharma” (duties as a citizen).
Who Are the Committee Members?
Along with Justice Ranjana Desai, the committee includes:
- C L Meena – Retired IAS officer
- R C Kodekar – Advocate
- Dakshesh Thakar – Former Vice-Chancellor, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University
- Gita Shroff – Social Worker
Comparisons with Uttarakhand’s UCC
- Uttarakhand became the first state to implement a UCC last week.
- Gujarat has significant Muslim (9%) and tribal (14%) populations, both concerned about a uniform law replacing their laws and customs.
- In Uttarakhand, tribals were exempted from the UCC.
- Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, confirmed that the state will follow the same approach to protecting tribal traditions.
- He also cited Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assurance in Jharkhand that the UCC will safeguard tribal customs and traditions.
This article was initially published in India
