Skip to main content

Gender equality claims under UCC a disguised attempt to implement majoritarianism

NFGIO's stand on uniform civil code: UCC threatens national unity:

***
National Federation of GIO on 14th July submitted a response letter to the Law Commission of India, regarding the public notice issued by the 22nd Law Commission, soliciting views and ideas on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). NFGIO examined how the implementation of UCC will affect diverse minorities and marginalized communities in India and indicated that gender justice can be achieved within the existing personal laws, and imposing a uniform code may inadvertently harm women's rights. UCC threatens the freedom to observe religious identity and practices, abolishing gender-specific protection guaranteed under various personal laws. 
The gender equality claims under UCC disguise the attempt to implement majoritarian principles on all citizens as seen in Special Marriage Act, a supposed uniform law model, which is based on majoritarian morality allowing exceptions to customary laws, with respect to un-codified Hindu customs. The 21st Law Commission report emphasised that secularism could not contradict the plurality prevalent in the country. NFGIO inspected how absolute equality can sometimes lead to injustice. The potential implementation of the UCC by amalgamating various religious codes may force individuals to adhere to laws derived from majoritarian principles, potentially threatening minority communities.
NFGIO pointed out how the Law Commission of India previously emphasized the importance of preserving the country's pluralistic nature, but now fresh views are being sought again without proper deliberation on previous reports and recommendations. This suggests a lack of comprehensive discussion and raises doubts about the intention behind the UCC discourse, which deliberately focuses on divisive issues rather than addressing important issues that are also a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy, such as securing a basic living wage for workers, prohibition on alcohol, improving public health, or providing equal economic opportunities to all.
NFGIO analyzed that in the current situation, stirring up issues related to the UCC only serves to increase differences and create chaos, rather than contributing to the country's overall wellbeing, and demanded that the law commission contemplates its predecessor’s conclusion and respect legal pluralism in the country.

Comments

TRENDING

The making of a self-made woman: How eighty sheep changed everything for Kalawati Ninama

By Vikas Meshram*  About forty-two kilometres from Rajasthan's Banswara district, in the tribal heartland of Ghatol block, lies the small village of Ubapana. This is where Kalawati Ninama, her husband Dhulji, and their four children make their home. Their days unfold much like those of their neighbours—bustling mornings, long hours of farm labour through the afternoon, and evenings spent tending livestock. For this family, farming and livestock were once simply a means of putting food on the table. Today, they have become the sturdy foundation of something far greater: genuine self-sufficiency.

India has spent billions on skilling. Where are the jobs?

By Vikas Gupta   India loves the photograph of a certificate ceremony. A minister on a stage. A banner bearing the word “skill.” Young people holding folders that promise a future. It is a reassuring image because it tells us the problem has a manageable answer: train the young, make them job-ready, and work will follow.

BAPS, the Eiffel Tower and the curious silence on secularism

By Rajiv Shah   I was a little surprised to see how some of those whom I respect for taking a firm stand on patriarchal issues reacted to the manner in which they responded to the recent incident in Paris, in which women employees of the Eiffel Tower were asked to remain "invisible" on September 5 when 100 BAPS sadhus visited one of the world's top tourist destinations.