From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, July 1: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma opposition to Uniform Civil Code has set the cat among the pigeons within the BJP-led NDA which includes NPP.
The Chief Minister’s strong and categorical stand against the UCC, although his party NPP is part of NDA, has raised many eyebrows within the BJP.
There are speculations whether or not Modi will push for UCC after stated reservations among the tribals and Christians of Northeast. Although there is no formal reaction to NPP stand, the NDA has been trying to elicit public opinion. The situation will emerge in the coming week.
Only a few months ago, even after a single majority, he had first rushed to BJP seeking support for formation of the NPP-led Government leaving aside his bigger allies like the UDP.
Other opposition parties including the Congress opposing the UCC, it has to be seen how both the MPs of the NPP play it out in Parliament which is expected to start on July 20.
For a dominating BJP, it is not a matter over the NPP opposition, but other smaller NDA partners in the Northeast might follow suit much to its political discomfort.
Even at that time, Conrad could have taken the next biggest party UDP and formed the government without taking help of the BJP which has in any case only two MLAs. But he made a tactical move by joining hands with BJP rather than any other party.
Conrad has described UCC as being against the idea of united India. He asserted that diversity is the strength of India and his party, which is a national party, feels that UCC in its current form will go against this idea.
Conrad also asserted that the Northeast has got a unique culture and society and will want to remain that way. Meghalaya has a matrilineal society and there are different cultures in the Northeast, he had pointed out.
Earlier on Friday, senior BJP leader and head of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Sushil Modi had said the Committee will seek the views of all stakeholders on the issue of the UCC in its meeting on Monday.
The Prime Minister’s fresh pitch for UCC at a rally in Bhopal had evoked criticism from the opposition, which has claimed it was polarisation tactics.
Nationalist Congress Party, from which NPP was carved, has also opposed the UCC more or less on the same grounds. Its president Sarad Pawar had said the stand of communities like the Sikhs, Jains and Christians should be ascertained.