Our Bureau
JOWAI/ SHILLONG, July 11: Following in the footsteps of the KHADC, the JHADC on Monday unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Meghalaya.
While tabling the resolution, JHADC CEM, Thombor Shiwat said implementation of UCC will unsettle the longstanding and customs, usages, practices and tradition prevailing and practiced till date particularly in respect of subjects like marriage, inheritance and succession, land tenure system and more importantly the fundamental rights enshrined under Article 19 of the Constitution of the India with regard to religious freedom.
Shiwat said the Centre should not implement the UCC within its jurisdiction so that “the rights and interests of the people of Jaintia Hills are not trampled and at the same time the customary practices are preserved as safeguarded by Article 13 and the Sixth Schedule.
He further suggested that the UCC will negatively impact the system of ownership of land and property nomination, among other practices.
“Instead of submitting the official resolution, we would write to the Law Commission of India to express our opposition to the move by the Centre to impose UCC,” the CEM said.
In another development, the three autonomous district councils have decided to meet in Shillong on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the UCC.
KHADC Deputy CEM, PN Syiem said the three ADCs will take a call to unanimously voice their opposition to the UCC.
He said the Council has received the views and suggestions from several pressure groups and stakeholders.
“We will incorporate some of the views and suggestions in the explanatory note to be submitted to the Law Commission,” Syiem said.
Meanwhile, the Synjuk ki Nongsynshar Shnong ka Bri u Hynniewtrep (SNSBH), has raised its opposition to the UCC.
“It is pertinent to note that we are a minority community by every sense of the word and we are a very unique race and we need utmost attention and care by any government both at the state and the centre,” said SNSBH general secretary RL Blah in a petition to the Law Commission.
“By population we are only a decimal compared to the other ethnic communities of the Northeast region more particularly the rest of India. We are just over 20 lakhs in number. By custom and tradition we are a matrilineal society. Hence we inherit our clans’ name from the female. Matrilineal system is also followed by the Garo tribe which is the other major tribe of Meghalaya. The land holding system in our region is very unique. Here the land either belongs to the individuals or the community or the clan and not the government,” the petition added.
The SNSBH urged the Law Commission to issue a strong recommendation to the central government to keep Meghalaya out of the purview of the proposed UCC.