Don't open Pandora's box: ex-law minister M Veerappa Moily to PM Modi, Law Commission on UCC
Moily on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Law Commission and all political leaders not to open the «Pandora's box» on personal laws and «create chaos» in the society. He also alleged that it was an issue that was intended to divide the society, destabilise the country and demolish the diversity enjoyed in Indian society. In a statement, Moily underlined that Article 25 provides for the Right to Freedom of Religion.
«Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently given a public thrust to Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Even though the Constitution of India makes a mention of the UCC, the founding fathers of the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly had chosen not to make it mandatory, as it involves the diversity of Indian society,» said Moily, who was the law minister in the UPA-II government from May 2009 to May 2011. Uniformity or commonality of the civil code for all regions and cultures of India is a different matter, he argued.
«It would entail breaking the promise made to Nagas and Mizos to not interfere in their customs and could feed secessionist sentiments that are active to varying degrees in the region,» Moily said. He added that this will have repercussions not only for minorities such as Muslims, Christians, it will also have substantial effect on Sikhs, Jains, Buddhist and hundreds of tribes and among various sects in Hindus such as Aliyasantana in Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka and Marumakkathayam in Kerala. «As expected, UCC is envisaged as a Muslim issue, forgetting other diversities prevailing in the country,» he alleged.
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