UCC will destroy national unity and affect growth, says Anbumani

PMK opposes UCC, citing it would affect national unity and growth. Dr. Anbumani says separate civil laws benefit majority Hindu communities and SC/STs. Law Commission concluded UCC not necessary nor desirable. PMK manifesto in 2014 said UCC not needed. Dr. Anbumani says personal laws contradicting rights of minorities can be addressed separately. Law Commission not debating liquor prohibition mentioned in Article 47.

After AIADMK opposed Uniform Civil Code, another BJP-ally PMK has also opposed the introduction of the law by the BJP government stating that it would go against national unity and affect the growth of the nation.

“India’s pride lies in its unity in diversity and ideas such as ‘Uniform Civil Code, one language, one country’ will destroy India’s diversity and plurality. This cannot be allowed. UCC will not just affect the rights of minorities, but it will also affect national unity and growth,” PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss has said.

In a statement, Dr. Anbumani said there is a view that separate civil law only benefits the Islamic community, but such separate civil laws benefit the majority Hindu communities as well. “The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes also have separate civil laws governing marriage rituals that are being followed for many generations. The UCC will destroy those as well. The Law Commission must understand it,” he said.

Former Supreme Court judge P.S. Chauhan debated upon Uniform Civil Code and sought views on the same for the 21st Law Commission of India. In the 185-page report released in 2018, it concluded that UCC was neither necessary nor desirable today, he said.

Dr. Anbumani charged that the intention to implement UCC appears more to take away the rights of the minorities rather than implement a common civil law. “A responsible, secular party such as PMK will not accept it. Rights of the minorities should be protected. Even in our election manifesto in 2014, PMK had said that Uniform Civil Code is not needed in India which has several religions and rituals and several countries have personal laws for different religious sects. This right should be protected,” he said.

Dr. Anbumani added that the personal laws that contradict rights and dignity of people, especially women of minority religions, can be addressed separately by seeking suggestions of the community and can be set right, if needed, by the Supreme Court just like how ‘Triple Talaq’ was struck down by the Supreme Court.

“Article 44 of the Indian Constitution says that Uniform Civil Code must be implemented throughout India is being touted as the reason why UCC is being debated and analysed today. But, the Law Commission must have known that Article 44 is only a Directive Principle. Why then the Law Commission has not debated and discussed the need to implement liquor prohibition across the country which has been mentioned in Article 47?” he asked.