'UCC unnecessary, undesirable': Islam recognized women's property rights 'long before they were formalized in Hindu laws'
The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), Gujarat, has launched a statewide campaign opposing the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law by the Gujarat government, terming it unconstitutional and unnecessary.
Addressing the media in Ahmedabad, Mujahid Nafees, Convenor of the MCC, strongly criticized the proposed UCC. "As an Indian citizen, I firmly believe in the fundamental rights provided by our Constitution," he said. "Our religious customs and family laws are safeguarded under the Constitution, and any changes imposed upon them are unacceptable."
Nafees highlighted that Article 44 of the Constitution mentions the possibility of a common civil code for the country but questioned whether introducing different codes in individual states truly constitutes a "common" code. Citing the recent example of Uttarakhand’s UCC, he argued that it primarily imposes Hindu religious laws on other communities, undermining the secular principles of the Indian Constitution.
He also questioned the redundancy of the proposed law, pointing out that Gujarat already has the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, 2006, which mandates marriage registration. Similarly, laws like the Domestic Violence Act and Section 125 of the CrPC already address maintenance and related issues across all communities.
"Women in live-in relationships already have legal protection and rights under existing laws. So, what new rights is the UCC actually offering?" asked Nafees. He further emphasized that religious family laws do not necessarily discriminate against women and that Islam, for instance, has long recognized women's property rights—long before such rights were formalized in Hindu laws.
According to Nafees, implementing the UCC will not simplify legal matters but will instead complicate them further, as evidenced by Uttarakhand’s law. "The UCC violates constitutional rights under Articles 25, 26, 28, and 29, which guarantee freedom to practice one's religion," he stated.
Declaring the UCC unnecessary and undesirable, Nafees demanded the immediate withdrawal of the proposed law. He assured that the Minority Coordination Committee would continue to raise awareness across Gujarat about the negative consequences of the UCC.
As part of its campaign, the MCC has initiated a missed call drive and QR code scanning campaign to mobilize public support against the law. Citizens are urged to give a missed call on 9409185104 and scan the QR code to send mass emails to the UCC Committee.
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