SHILLONG, Oct 15: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has voiced his reservations on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying it goes against the concept and spirit of diversity of the nation. He called for a nuanced and inclusive approach, particularly while implementing UCC in the Northeastern region.
In an interview with a news agency, the chief minister addressed concerns over the UCC and emphasized that the concept of a uniform civil code goes against the diversity that forms the backbone of the nation.
“If you look at UCC at large, making things uniform is going against the entire concept of diversity of our nation,” he said, questioning where the line should be drawn.
Drawing reference from states like Uttarakhand, he said, “If you see the Uttarakhand UCC, the practices of tribal community will not be part of the UCC of Uttarakhand. Once we know what the government is trying to make uniform, what are the areas and how it will adapt to the diversity factors of the rest of the country, especially the tribal communities, I think we will be in a better position to comment on UCC.”
Talking about CAA and NRC, he said, “In all the cases we have been taking a stand against both. It is not about the concept. The devil lies in the details. It is inclusiveness that we want.”
Reminding of the CAA, he said, “What happened with the CAA was that once the initial draft was brought there was a lot of uproar and we also stood up against it and then at that point in time the government invited all of us and we sat down and when we discussed the matter they exempted the Sixth Schedule areas and the areas under ILP. So, it would not be fair for us to say that the concept is right or wrong. The main thing is what the particular bill will do and how it will allow exemption.”
Stating that he understands from the larger perspective of the nation that there are certain requirements behind implementation of UCC, he said one cannot look at that and say that it has to be applied to all the states.
“It is very important in all of these cases that the Government of India should be flexible and discuss with all the states before they come out with any kind of law that impacts the nation as a whole,” he added.
