Only a matter of time before entire country adopts UCC: Dhankhar
Speaking at an event in the Vice-President’s Enclave , Dhankhar emphasized that the adoption of the UCC fulfilled the Directive Principles of State Policy outlined in Part 4 of the Indian Constitution.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Monday, commended the state of Uttarakhand for implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), describing it as “a very auspicious sign” and a historic step toward realizing a long-standing constitutional vision.
Speaking at an event in the Vice-President’s Enclave , Dhankhar emphasized that the adoption of the UCC fulfilled the Directive Principles of State Policy outlined in Part 4 of the Indian Constitution.
UCC refers to a common set of laws that will subsume customary laws across faiths and tribes and govern issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance. In the Constitution, it is a part of the non-justiciable directive principles of state policy.
Referring specifically to Article 44, which mandates the state to work toward securing a uniform civil code for all citizens, the Vice-President stated, “Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand is making the Uniform Civil Code a reality. One state has done it. I congratulate the farsightedness of the government... for realizing the vision of the founding fathers of the Constitution by implementing the Uniform Civil Code in their state, and I am sure it will only be a matter of time before the entire country adopts similar legislation.”
Expressing concern over opposition to the UCC, Dhankhar noted that resistance often stemmed from ignorance and political motives. “Some people, I would say out of ignorance, are criticizing it. How can we criticize something which is a mandate of the Indian Constitution?”
Dismissing political critiques of the law, Dhankar said “Politics has taken such deep root in our minds that it has turned into poison. For political gain, people don’t hesitate to forsake nationalism, not even for a moment, without feeling concerned.”
The vice president continued, “How can anyone oppose promulgation of Uniform Civil Code? You study it. Study the debates of the constitutional assembly, study how many times the Supreme Court of the country has so indicated.”
Uttarakhand, on Monday, implemented the Uniform Civil Code, making it the first state in independent India to put into effect such a law. Opposition parties such the Congress have pointed out that something like the UCC cannot be state-specific. In a press conference on Sunday, Congress’ Abhishek Manusinghvi said that it was like a “pilot project” but without “ proper consensus”.
