Leaders of prominent Muslim organizations in Kerala, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), have come together to oppose the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) through legal and political means. They believe that the implementation of the UCC would have wide-ranging consequences, not only for Muslims but also for other communities.
“UCC is not an issue of Muslims, it is of all people. We will unite all people against it and fight legally and politically,” said Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal who attended the Tuesday’s meeting.
Senior IUML leader and MLA PK Kunhalikutty has expressed his concern, alleging that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is being exploited as a means to divide people along communal lines. According to him, the implementation of the UCC could potentially exacerbate existing communal tensions and create divisions among different religious communities.
In addition to the IUML, the meeting regarding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was attended by various other influential Muslim organizations, including two factions of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, factions of the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Muslim Education Society, and the Muslim Service Society.
The Congress party in Kerala is also set to convene a meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on the UCC. This meeting will witness the participation of all MLAs, MPs, district presidents, and top office-bearers of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. During this meeting, they are expected to discuss their stance and approach towards the proposed Uniform Civil Code.
VD Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of introducing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as a means to create divisions among people.
“The Law Commission appointed by the central government itself has made it very clear that there is no need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) at present,” he said.
So we are also taking the same stand that there is no need for UCC at this point in time. BJP is bringing this matter to make a split among the people,” Satheesan told ANI.
The ruling party in Kerala, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), has joined the chorus of criticism against the Prime Minister’s endorsement of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a leader of the CPI(M), stated that the UCC is merely a political agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is being used as a tool for electoral purposes.
“Triggering debates around Uniform Civil Code is an electoral ploy by Sangh Parivar to press their majoritarian agenda for deepening communal divide.
“Let’s oppose any attempts to undermine India’s pluralism and support reforms through democratic discussions within communities,” Kerala CM tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent vocal support for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has once again brought the issue into the spotlight. PM Modi emphasized that it is not feasible for a country to operate under two different sets of laws and highlighted that the UCC is an integral part of the Constitution.
“Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights…Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics,” PM Modi had said.
