The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) on July 5 submitted a statement to the Law Commission of India, stating apprehensions about the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country.
Uniform Civil Code
The RRAG stated that nothing has changed since the Law Commission’s Consultation Paper of 2018 in which it held that “uniform civil code which is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage” and any other contrary findings shall raise questions about integrity, independence and impartiality of the Law Commission.
According to Suhas Chakma, director of the RRAG, the implementation of a UCC would require constitutional amendments, potentially affecting the status of customs and usages in India’s territory, as well as the guarantees for customary laws in Nagaland and Mizoram.
“If exemption is given to the Northeastern States, the question shall arise as to why the same exemptions must not be extended to the tribal areas under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of India and thereafter, to various other groups whose customs or usage are guaranteed under Article 13(3)(a) of the Constitution of India. Exemptions to various groups imply that it is no longer uniform that the Government of India or the Law Commission seeks to achieve,” stated Chakma.
