As Written by – Akash Pandey )
The Dhami government is running for its second term in Uttarakhand; hence, the time has come for the Dhami government to meet the challenges about which the Dhami government made loud promises during the Uttarakhand assembly elections. On one hand, from the Congress side, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat had promised to build a Muslim university in the state, while on the other hand, from the BJP side, there was talk of removing illegal encroachments and implementing the Uniform Civil Code.
When Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami organized a press conference on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Friday, February 2, the news spread like wildfire across the country as to what was included in the draft prepared by the Uttarakhand government regarding the UCC. Is? Will this not be forcefully imposed on minorities? Will Pushkar Singh Dhami’s government be able to smoothly implement this UCC throughout Uttarakhand? , When we look towards Uttarakhand since the last two years, the situation in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has changed a lot compared to before, be it the movement against the increasing Muslim population in the state, the organization of Hindu Mahasabha, or against Muslim businessmen. There should be anger among common citizens. We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that in the last few months, various types of communal outrages have been witnessed on small and small levels in Uttarakhand. Today, every Uttarakhandi is loudly raising the issue of his rights. Today in Uttarakhand, under strict land law, native people (1950) are taking to the streets and protesting, while on the other hand, the case of illegal encroachment by Muslims on the railway land of Haldwani is going on in the Supreme Court, the hearing regarding which has been postponed further. Is. Amidst these matters, today the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand announced the implementation of the Uniform Justice Code (UCC) in the state.
Uttarakhand will become the first state to implement UCC (Pushkar Singh Dhami).
The committee formed on the Uniform Justice Code (UCC) has submitted its complete report regarding the UCC to Uttarakhand CM Dhami. A uniform law for everything from divorce to property has been recommended, for which a House bill will be presented by the government in the state assembly on February 6. Regarding this, a special session of the Assembly has been called by the government from February 5th to February 8th. Before presenting this bill on the table of the Assembly, it will be placed before the Cabinet of the State Government on Saturday, February 3. After that, it will be presented in the Assembly, where, after passing, it will be sent to the Governor for approval. After getting approval, Uttarakhand will become the first state to implement UCC. After the committee submitted the draft, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “We were all waiting for the draft for a long time. Today we received the draft. The UCC committee has submitted its report to us. Now we will move forward in this matter. Will examine the draft, and after completing all the formalities, will place it before the Assembly. This will be discussed further.”
Why is it necessary to implement UCC in Devbhoomi?
Uttarakhand, known as Devbhoomi, has been a land giving the message of peace since the beginning. This divine land, filled with the glory of Baba Kedarnath, Badrinath, and Dhari Devi, gives place to everyone in its lap. Adiguru Shankaracharya died here. There have been many changes in this state full of mountains, forests, and rivers in the last several years; hence, there is a need to take various steps to save the culture and civilization of Uttarakhand. One of these is the Uniform Civil Code.
A Brief Introduction to the Uttarakhand UCC Report
Gender equality has been considered paramount in the report presented by the draft committee. The proposed laws aim to treat men and women equally, especially in matters of inheritance. It is expected that the UCC will reject practices such as polygamy, iddat, and halal in response to the demands of Muslim women. However, the minimum age for marriage is expected to remain unchanged (18 years for women and 21 years for men). The UCC will regulate live-in relationships, requiring a mandatory declaration to begin or end such an arrangement. The purpose of this law is to empower women and promote gender equality in personal laws. These changes are in line with the broader principle of ensuring that the UCC will take into account the needs and rights of all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation. The Committee’s extensive engagement with the public and consideration of gender equality issues following the passage of the UCC will underline the inclusive approach adopted in drafting the law. As the state moves forward with this legislative change,Its impact on gender dynamics, religious practices, and the legal framework will be closely watched, potentially influencing similar initiatives in other parts of the country. Promoting gender equality for women and personal laws. These changes are in line with the overarching principle of ensuring that the UCC addresses the needs and rights of all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation.
There is still work to be done on these issues
After the implementation of UCC in Uttarakhand, the government still has many challenges, which will not be easy for the government to overcome. The most important of them is employment. Today, the youth of Uttarakhand are migrating to other states for employment, which is a matter of concern for the state. Apart from this, there is also a demand for ‘land law’, which is in the interest of Devbhoomi. What does the government think of ‘consolidation’? How will action be taken against ‘illegal mining’? Be it the conduct of government examinations and then the ‘delay in results’, the welfare of the farmers in the hills, or the minimum monthly assistance for the ‘livelihood of the farmers doing farming in the hills’, a lot of issues remain to be resolved.
