BJP's northeast ally opposes UCC: Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday expressed concerns over the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and said that it is in conflict with the religious and social practices of the Mizos and their laws protected by the Constitution.
Zoramthanga, also the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) president, said that UCC is against the interest of the ethnic minorities in general and the Mizos in particular.
Notably, the MNF is a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the regional version of the NDA. Mizoram will go to Assembly polls later this year.
This comes a day after Parliamentary Panel on law chairman and BJP MP Sushil Modi on Monday (July 3) pressed on keeping the tribals, including those in the Northeast, out of the ambit of the Uniform Civil Code, which has sparked a debate in the country, a source said. Sushil Modi in his comments pitched for keeping tribals out of the ambit of any proposed UCC and noted that all laws have exceptions.
What did Mizoram CM say?
In a letter to Law Commission of India, which is consulting all stakeholders to seek their views on the UCC, the Chief Minister said that the proposal of the UCC ‘cannot be accepted’.
"Since the proposed implementation of UCC throughout the territory of India is in conflict with the religious and social practices of the Mizos and of their customary/personal law which is specifically protected by constitutional provision, the said proposal of the NDA government at the Centre as can be seen in the Law commission notice cannot be accepted," Zoramthanga said in his letter.
Zoramthanga’s statement came days after another BJP ally in the Northeast, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, whose party NPP is also a member of NEDA, asserted that the UCC ‘in its present form’ is against the idea of India.
Last month, the Law Commission issued a public notice inviting views from various stakeholders on the UCC under the "Review of Personal Laws" subject.
Zoramthanga also said that Article 371(G) of the Constitution states that no act of Parliament in respect of religious or social practices of the Mizos, Mizo customary law and procedure, ownership and transfer of land, shall apply to Mizoram unless the state legislature by a resolution so decides.
Zoramthanga reminded the Law Commission about an official resolution passed by the Mizoram Assembly on February 14 opposing any step towards enactment of the UCC in the country.
Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee writes to Law Commission
Meanwhile, the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee, a conglomerate of church leaders' bodies in the state, also wrote to the Union Law Commission that it strongly opposed implementation of UCC in the country.
The Nagaland Tribal Council late last month had also written to the Law Commission that the UCC will dilute the provisions of Article 371A of the Constitution if implemented.
Uniform Civil Code is aimed at replacing personal laws based on religions, customs, and traditions with one common law for everyone irrespective of religion, caste, creed, sexual orientation, and gender.
Personal laws and laws related to inheritance, adoption and succession are likely to be covered by a common code.
(With PTI inputs)
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