A Uniform Civil Code for all communities in India is neither “necessary nor desirable” at this stage, the Law Commission of India said in its ‘Consultation Paper on Family Law Reforms’ that was released on Friday, 31 August.
The Law Commission, in its paper, chose to focus more on equality “within communities between men and women” (personal law reform), “rather than ‘equality between’ communities” (UCC), The Indian Express states.
The paper, which was submitted by the Commission just before its three-year term ended, stated:
“Most countries are now moving towards recognition of difference, and the mere existence of difference does not imply discrimination, but is indicative of a robust democracy.”
The panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge BS Chauhan said that the “issue of uniform civil code is vast, and its potential repercussions untested in India,” Hindustan Times reports.
The Centre had sought the Commission’s advice in examining if it was time to bring in a uniform code on personal laws of various communities, back in 2016. In October that same year, the commission had sought responses from political parties, religious groups and the public alike, for their thoughts on the issue.
The commission had then issued an appeal on 19 March, asking stakeholders and the public to send in their suggestions relating to the same, minus the issue of triple talaq, as the Bill surrounding it was pending in Parliament.
The Uniform Civil Code has been a long-standing poll promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but has been opposed by several minority groups have who view it as an attempt to erase their cultural and religious identities, Hindustan Times reports.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and Hindustan Times)
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