SHILLONG, 17 Jul: Senior Meghalaya BJP leader Sanbor Shullai on Monday said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) “risks interference” with the unique matrilineal societies of the state, and appealed to the Law Commission not to implement the UCC in scheduled areas of the state.
“It is an earnest appeal that the implementation of UCC should be excluded from the scheduled area of the state of Meghalaya,” the MLA of Shillong South constituency said in a letter to the chairman of the Law Commission of India.
He said that the UCC, if implemented in Meghalaya, risks interference with the unique beauty of matrilineal norms of the society in Meghalaya.
“The central government has been kind enough during the implementation of CAA wherein tribal areas of the northeastern states have been exempted. Thus, the same principle should be applied to uphold the traditional matrilineal customary law of the tribal communities of Meghalaya,” he added.
He said that any law implemented by the country should safeguard the interests of the minorities, besides protecting the rich and traditional heritage of the tribal communities of the northeastern states of the country.
The UCC is a common set of laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian citizens, irrespective of religion, tribe or other local customs.
The Law Commission had on 14 June initiated a fresh consultation process on UCC by seeking views from stakeholders, including public and recognised religious organisations, on the politically sensitive issue.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is also the president of the National People’s Party, had already aired his opposition to the UCC. (PTI)
Sangma had said that the UCC in its current form is against the actual idea of India itself. (PTI)