Uniform Civil Code-BJP Rushes To Legalise the Code.

A simple strategy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), since it came to power at the Centre in 2014, is to prove the failures of its predecessor and what they couldn’t do in decades of rule, they will do it quickly and resolutely.

The legalization and implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) have been on the BJP’s agenda for a long time. A debatable piece of legislation, which has been set aside for 70 long years, has now picked pace and through a surprisingly well-oiled mechanism.

The UCC was a key agenda of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the 1998 elections other was the abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram Mandir in place of demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

Now as BJP has delivered on Article 370 and Ram Mandir is out of the way, the BJP has turned its focus on its third agenda which is UCC.

I believe implementing this won’t be easy. In fact, it will be a difficult move to push UCC through as it could trigger agitation, possible violence, social pushback, and vicious lobbying.

Yet, as they say, “Barkis is willing.”

The obvious questions are: Why now? What is UCC? What effect will it have on the minorities? How does UCC conflicts with personal laws? How will it be beneficial to implement the UCC? And is it purely for election?

The BJP included the implementation of the UCC for the first time in its election manifesto for the 2019 general elections.

But what is the Uniform Code of Conduct? The UCC comes under Article 44 of the Constitution of India, which recommends introducing personal laws that would be applicable to all citizens equally, irrespective of their religion, gender, caste, etc.

It essentially will be a common set of laws that will govern personal matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession.

Currently, the personal laws of many communities majorly are governed by their religion.

The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has called out the implementation of UCC in India by various state governments and the Centre as “an unconstitutional and anti-minorities move”. Clearly, the Muslims will fight this at every step.

Politically, BJP has currently made headway to implement the code. And this activity has gained momentum in BJP-ruled states.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that his government is starting to draft UCC to be implemented in the state. Before the Uttarakhand Assembly election, Dhami had promised to implement UCC in the state if BJP was voted back in power.

Besides this Uttar Pradesh and Assam are in the queue and figuring out the shape and form of its implementation.

Other BJP states like Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, where Assembly elections will happen this year, are also thinking about implementing it but are currently waiting. Its successful run will be gauged by how well UCC would be received in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.