GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed his anticipation, stating that Assam is poised to follow in the footsteps of Uttarakhand and Gujarat on implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Addressing the press on Thursday, Sarma said that since the two states will be implementing it first in the country, Assam will follow their lead. He also specifically mentioned that the tribal population of the state will be exempted from it.
“Assam will have new additions to the Bill. It will be an Assam model. We will bring in the same Bill as that of Gujarat and Uttarakhand, but there will be an Assam-centric tweak. However, one thing is set in stone, the tribal community of the state will be exempted from it,” he said.
Earlier in November 2023, Chief Minister Sarma had announced that the UCC would be implemented in Assam by February 2024.
Addressing an election campaign rally at Charminar in Hyderabad, Telangana, Sarma, while taking a strong stand against polygamy, had said, “We will introduce the UCC. After that, if anyone wants to marry again, he will have to legally divorce his first wife.”
The Uniform Civil Code aims to establish and enforce a set of personal laws that are applicable uniformly to all citizens, ensuring equality and justice.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously underscored the necessity of a single legal framework, highlighting that the nation cannot operate on dual laws, and that the UCC aligns with the foundational principles and ideals of the Constitution.
However, the Northeast will not be affected by its implementation, according to union minister SP Singh Baghel, who made this claim earlier in 2023.
The union minister assured that the BJP-led government will not implement a law that “goes against the interests of the people of the Northeast”.
“The customs of the Northeast are respected by the party, and we will not hurt any religious or social customs, but appeasement politics is not right either,” he had said.
Notably, some sections in the Northeastern states have raised objections to the proposed implementation of the UCC.
The strongest opposition to the proposed implementation of the UCC has come from Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland, which are Christian-majority states.
