Guwahati: The three autonomous district councils (ADCs)- KHADC, JHADC and GHADC said that following a joint meeting, they had resolved unanimously to issue a resolution in opposition to the Center’s efforts to impose the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the state on Monday.
A combined meeting was held today at the KHADC.
“We have unanimously decided that we will jointly pass a resolution that implementation of UCC in the Sixth Schedule area will be totally opposed (by us) and we also pass a resolution in our respective councils soon regarding this matter,” KHADC chief Titosstarwell Chyne told reporters after the meeting.
The UCC is an idea to create and implement personal laws of citizens that are equally applicable to all citizens.
The central government’s intention to introduce the UCC Bill in the nation had been extensively discussed at the meeting, he claimed. He added that “we feel that UCC will directly have an impact on the powers and functions of the ADCs, especially with our customs, our traditional practises, and community as a whole.”
When asked if a special session would be held in this respect, Chyne responded that they were hoping to call one before the end of the month since they wanted to move this issue through quickly.
“There are so many problems as I have said that it (UCC) will affect our traditional customs like the marriage system. Once this UCC is implemented, we will have a uniform marriage system but here in our customs, we have differences, so religious and traditional customs will be affected. As Scheduled Tribe, we feel implementation of this UCC will not be acceptable in the state,” he said.
The KHADC chief added that once a resolution was approved by the three ADCs, as it was with the Citizenship Amendment Act, the state government would also have to follow suit.
“…the CAA has been exempted in the Scheduled area I think the UCC should also be exempted from the Sixth Schedule. Therefore, we are demanding for exemption of the UCC from the Sixth Schedule area,” he further maintained.