Now Reading: 22nd Law Commission calls for responses on Uniform Civil Code
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22nd Law Commission calls for responses on Uniform Civil Code
The 22nd Law Commission has invited public responses on a proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), reigniting a heated debate. The Hindu notes that Indians have never been consulted on their personal laws,…
The Story in Brief
The 22nd Law Commission has invited public responses on a proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), reigniting a heated debate. The Hindu notes that Indians have never been consulted on their personal laws, which were instituted by the British after cursory hearings with clergy. These laws, boxed by religion, share a patriarchal core that privileges men: only a man can head a Hindu Undivided Family, a divorced Muslim woman has limited maintenance rights, and LGBT individuals were entirely ignored. The article argues that true democracy requires replacing these colonial-era laws with a secular code based on liberty, equality and dignity, not religious custom.
The Indian Opinion
The debate often gets trapped in a Hindu-Muslim binary, ignoring that India's personal laws share a uniformly patriarchal core. Opposition claims of 'diversity' and religious leaders' cries of 'religious freedom' miss the point: the constitution demands liberty, equality and dignity for all, not a federation of religions. The real test will be whether any eventual draft puts women's rights and constitutional secularism ahead of majoritarian pressure or religious exemptions.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
