Uniform Civil Code to be implemented in Uttarakhand before Nov 9: CM Dhami

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 28 (ANI): Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said that the government has resolved to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state before November 9, the foundation day of the Uttarakhand.

Notably, the state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on November 9 in the year 2000 during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led central government. It was initially named Uttaranchal, which was changed to Uttarakhand on January 1, 2007.

“We have taken many such decisions which were not implemented by the previous governments till date due to vote bank politics. The UCC (Uniform Civil Code) bill will be implemented soon. We have resolved to implement it before the 9th of November, in the state,” Dhami said.

“We have also done a great job of protecting the identity of Devbhoomi regarding religious conversion so that the original form of the state remains intact and by making it, we can pass it on as a legacy to future generations as well,” he added.

The BJP government introduced the UCC Bill during a special session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on February 6 this year and it was passed with a comfortable majority a day later on February 7.

The passage of the UCC Bill marked a “historic day” in the history of Uttarakhand, Dhami said.

The Uniform Civil Code seeks to establish a set of uniform personal laws that apply to all citizens, regardless of religion, gender, or caste. This would cover aspects such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too, while delivering his Independence Day address to the nation on August 15, batted for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) stating that India will now have to move towards a secular civil code to free the country from religion-based discrimination.

PM Modi also called for a discussion over the proposed implementation of the Uniform Civil Code across the country and asked people to give their suggestions.

PM Modi said, “In our country, the Supreme Court has held discussions regarding the Uniform Civil Code again and again, and it has given orders several times. A large section of the country believes, and it is true, that the civil code that we are living with is actually a communal civil code in a way, a discriminatory civil code.”