He claimed Sikhs, Christians, and Adivasis, will lose their customary rights, which they currently enjoy through personal laws.
Asaduddin Owaisi says if UCC is introduced non Muslims will suffer more. (asadowaisi/ Twitter)
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, a vocal critic of the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), has contended that while the BJP wants to enact the law to “teach Muslims a lesson”, in reality, it is other communities in India that would suffer more.
“It is said that Muslims will be taught a lesson through the UCC, but this common law is not good for the entire country. Rather than Muslims, non-Muslims will be at a loss. This is being done to erase our identities in the country,” Owaisi, the MP from Hyderabad, contended.
Owaisi was speaking at a meeting organised by AIMIM MP from Maharashtra’s Aurangabad, Imtiaz Jaleel, that was also addressed by leaders of different communities.
“Our prime minister says there cannot be two laws in the country. But there are two laws (Scottish and English), and that didn’t weaken England. Sri Lanka, Israel, and Singapore have their personal laws,” Owaisi said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 12 July, the Mangaluru Catholic Sabha’s Central Committee asked the Union government to bring out a draft law on the UCC instead of “creating confusion” among minorities and other communities in the country.
Addressing reporters in Mangaluru, Catholic Sabha president Allwyn D’Souza said the Union government’s recent statements had created confusion among different communities.
The Law Commission of India circulating a questionnaire and asking the views of different communities on it has given an impression that the government wanted to somehow bulldoze a so-called UCC on all communities, he said.
“If the government is serious about UCC, it should first bring out a draft law and circulate it among citizens and call for suggestions. It is not clear how the government wants to bring uniformity by circulating a questionnaire,” he said.
With a draft law, the general public can give suggestions or are in a clear position either to assent to the Bill if it protects their customs, or oppose if it is against their interests, D’Souza said.
The statement by the Central Committee, released at the press meet, said India has been described as an “ethnological museum” owing to its diverse culture. The diversity is due to more than 10 religions living side by side, it said.
“There are also around 3,000 castes, 25,000 sub-castes, 1,109 Scheduled Caste and 744 Scheduled Tribe sections in the country. All these religions, castes and tribes have their own distinct culture, customs, traditions, language, marriage practices, inheritance, food habits, dress habits and way of life that have been followed for centuries,” the statement said.
“These distinct culture, traditions and religious beliefs have been protected by the Constitution through its fundamental rights. Even while framing the Constitution, unity in diversity was the motto,” it said.
The customs and traditions in various communities in India were codified into personal laws in India with regard to marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, it added.
Though most of the laws in India are uniformly applicable to all citizens irrespective of religion, caste, class and race, the personal laws of different sects have been respected.
The practice of marriage among Hindus is totally different to practice of marriage amongst Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and others. Hence personal laws to preserve these unique practices are very much required and removal of these are detrimental to the customs and practices of particular communities, the statement said.
Trying to bring uniformity where uniformity is not possible is striking a death knell and being dismissive of all the customs and traditions. The government’s slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (taking everyone along for the prosperity of all) also promotes diversity and not uniformity, it said.
At the Aurangabad meeting on Tuesday, 11 July, Owaisi said that many non-Muslim communities will lose their customary rights, which they currently enjoy through personal laws.
“Sikhs, Christians, and Adivasis will also lose many of their rights. A joint Hindu business family gets a tax rebate. In the year 2015, the amount of rebate stood at ₹3,065 crore. Hindus will be deprived of this rebate if the UCC is brought in,” Owaisi added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah says the northeastern states will be kept out of the purview of UCC, but the government doesn’t say what they will do for Adivasis living in other parts of the country, he pointed out.
Owaisi asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, to inform tribals in the state about the implications of the UCC and watch their reaction.
Describing those in the Muslim community backing the UCC as “Sarkari Musalman”, Owaisi said: “Such people sit in Delhi and claim there is no loss because of UCC.”
Aurangabad MP Jaleel said the UCC was not needed and accused the government of dividing people along religious and caste lines and raking up issues like triple talaq, hijab, CAA, etc, for electoral benefits.
He claimed even the Law Commission was of the view that there is no need for UCC.
“I think the government threatens the commission saying, if you don’t want UCC, we don’t want Law Commission. Because we (government) are law, as well as commission,” Jaleel alleged.
#UCC se sabse ziyada takleef hamare Hindu bhai’on ko hogi
UCC se Hindu bhaiyon ke bahut sare rights cheen liye jayenge Jis mein marriage act ke sath sath aur bhi bahot saare samaji aur mazhabi riwaaj shamil hain pic.twitter.com/eGNP2U19op
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 12, 2023
Owaisi’s comments come at a time when an effort is being made to mobilise opinion against the UCC, especially among the tribal communities of South India.
Tribal leaders in Kerala have opposed the proposed UCC. Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha president M Geethanandan earlier told South First that the UCC would be detrimental to the indigenous people of the country.
“Currently, the discussion on the Uniform Civil Code is on its possible impact on minority communities such as Muslims. But a new legislation would affect the indigenous people the most, and the tribespeople in Kerala have reached a consensus to oppose the UCC,” he had said.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Girijana Sangham, a tribal body in the Visakhapatnam Agency area, asserted that it would oppose the implementation of the uniform code.
“Tribals are the original natives of this land and country. The UCC is only a ploy by the union government to create a rift among tribespeople, the public, and other religions. We will oppose it,” Girijana Sangham’s national executive member G Appalanarasa told South First.
Balu Gadi, the state co-convener of the Rythu Swarajya Vedika, a farmers’ organisation, and a tribal rights activist in Telangana, drew attention to another aspect.
“The implementation of the UCC is wrong. The tribals’ identity will be lost. Even in tribal communities, there are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), and non-PVTG groups. The PVTG groups are extremely vulnerable. Many of them know nothing about the mainland Hindu society,” he told South First.
He felt clubbing indigenous people with the Hindu society would lead to the former losing their identity and rights.
“The UCC should be implemented after caste is eradicated,” he added.
Ahead of Assembly elections in key states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 June invoked the need for a UCC, in Bhopal.
“The BJP has decided it will not adopt the path of appeasement and vote bank politics,” said Modi while invoking the UCC.
“Even the Supreme Court has advocated for the UCC, but those practising vote-bank politics are opposing it,” claimed Modi while addressing BJP workers selected from across the country for boosting the BJP’s “Mera Booth Sabse Majboot” campaign.
“The Indian Constitution also talks about uniform rights for the people of the country. The BJP follows the path of ‘santushtikaran‘ (satisfaction) instead of ‘tushtikaran‘ (appeasement),” he added.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 30 June, alleged that the “electoral agenda” of the BJP is behind raking up the UCC and urged the Union government to back off.
Telangana Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao made his party’s stand clear on 10 July, while describing the UCC as yet another attempt of the BJP-led Union government to foment hatred among religious communities.
On 5 July, BJP’s southern ally, the AIADMK, reiterated its stand against the implementation of the UCC.
AIADMK chief K Palaniswami, said the position had already been made known in the party’s manifesto released for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In the manifesto, under the topic “Secularism”, the party had said in 2019: “The AIADMK will urge the Government of India to not bring any amendments to the Constitution for a Uniform Civil Code that will adversely affect the religious rights of minorities in India.”
(With PTI inputs)
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 04, 2024
May 04, 2024
