'Affront to dignity': PUCL warns Gujarat UCC will harass minorities, live-in couples

By A Representative 

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat unit, has issued a sharp condemnation of the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, passed by the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. In a press statement, the organization, founded by Jayaprakash Narayan and Justice V.M. Tarkunde, described the legislation as a “targeted civil code” that poses a serious threat to the dignity, privacy, and constitutional rights of citizens, particularly marginalized and minority communities.

The PUCL accused the state government of abandoning democratic norms by advancing the Bill without meaningful consultation or public debate. The organization noted that a comprehensive draft was not placed in the public domain for objections or critique before being rushed through the Assembly using a “brute majority.”

A Missed Opportunity for Gender Justice

The PUCL highlighted that its submissions to the Justice (Retd) Ranjana Desai Committee on UCC had outlined a nuanced, gender-justice framework evolved over decades by the women’s movement. The government, PUCL argues, ignored this progressive stance.

“The entire exercise of widespread consultations has turned out to be futile,” the statement reads. “The Bill has not even made a tokenistic effort to integrate the progressive elements of different personal laws.” PUCL further criticized the legislation for ignoring the rights and concerns of transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities, and for reducing the UCC to a “painful bureaucratic process of registration” applied even to live-in relationships.

‘Dangerous’ Investigative Powers and Privacy Violations

A core concern raised by the PUCL pertains to the arbitrary powers granted to the Registrar under Section 4 of the Bill. The union warned that investigative powers, undefined and lacking precision, could be weaponized against inter-religious and inter-caste couples, especially those who marry or cohabit against family or community wishes.

“This would endanger their security, considering the violent ultra-conservative elements in society that have scant regard for law,” the statement said. The requirement for live-in partners to submit details to local police was labeled “mala fide” and a “condemnable effort to criminalize live-in relationships.”

Constitutional Safeguards Under Threat

While the Bill may not explicitly violate Articles 25, 26, and 29 (guaranteeing freedom of religion and cultural autonomy), PUCL argues that its implementation process would violate the constitutional right to privacy and could be weaponized against rural and marginalized communities who rely on customary law with limited documentation.

Demands and Next Steps

The PUCL has demanded that the Gujarat government:

1. Immediately halt the UCC process.

2. Release all draft proposals and related documents in the public domain.

3. Take cognizance of Law Commission recommendations and critiques by women’s organizations.

4. Initiate an inclusive consultation process with civil society, women’s groups, constitutional experts, and community representatives.

The organization confirmed it is preparing a clause-by-clause critique of the Bill, which will be released shortly.

The press statement was issued by Aanand Yagnik (Advocate), President of PUCL Gujarat, and Mujahid Nafees, General Secretary.