Kozhikode: The Uniform Civil Code is a political tool being used by the BJP to sharpen communal polarisation, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Saturday, at a national seminar organised by the Left party here to discuss the UCC.
Uniformity does not mean equality, he stressed, at an event which saw the participation of numerous influential Muslim and Christian religious community representatives.
Yechury said laws that are discriminatory have to be corrected in consultation with the entire community and not by imposing UCC from the top.
“Uniformity does not mean equality. The CPI(M) stands for equality like the Constitution of India stands for equality. And it’s that equality that we need to fight for…that everyone of us is first a human being and then everything else follows,” Yechury said.
The CPI(M) leader pointed out that the 21st Law Commission, appointed by the Modi government, had made it clear that the UCC was “neither necessary nor desirable at this stage”.
Yechury said any effort to impose uniformity will tear our social fabric.
“UCC is a slogan that is meant to sharpen communal polarisation and not to actually achieve any uniformity at all…but to be used as a political tool by the BJP for sharpening communal polarisation,” Yechury added.
He said even though there is a Special Marriage Act that allows people from different faiths to marry, ‘khap panchayats’ are giving out punishments and honour killings are prevalent in the country.
“When this announcement was made by the Prime Minister, the Nagaland CM met the union home minister and later publicly said that assurances were given that the proposed UCC will not apply to tribals and Christians,” Yechury pointed out.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said the move to impose UCC was an attempt to communalise the country.
“BJP is trying to take the country back to the ‘chaturvarna’ system and frame a Constitution based on ‘Manusmriti’ through the UCC,” Govindan said.
Rajya Sabha MP and Kerala Congress chairman Jose k Mani said the attempt to push UCC was not an isolated incident.
He said the Citizenship Amendment Act and the attempt to impose Hindi are also part of the move to destroy the nation’s identity. Mani also said that the violence in Manipur shows that minorities are being hunted in the country.
Mukkom Umar Faisy, who represented the influential Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama at the meeting, said its members would join all those who oppose the UCC.
Fr Joseph Kalarickal, who represented the Thamarassery diocese under the prominent Syro Malabar Church at the meeting, said the notice issued by the Law Commission recently in connection with the UCC is a matter of concern.
“Our country is known for its unity in diversity. The government, which is supposed to protect the culture and traditions of all citizens, is encroaching upon our unity in diversity,” the Christian priest said.
The national seminar was announced by Govindan on July 2 at a press meet where he attacked the RSS and the BJP saying they were “parading” the Prime Minister across the country to campaign for the UCC, and urged secular-minded civil society to protest against the proposed code.
The Left party, had however, decided not to invite the Congress party saying it does not have a united stand on the matter.
The CPI(M) had also invited the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a major ally of the Congress in Kerala but it rejected the Left party’s overtures to take part in its seminars.
A strong political debate has been kicked off in the state over the UCC after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made a strong push for implementing the civil code by asking how the country can function with dual laws that govern personal matters.
The Left party’s seminar, which was held at the Calicut Trade Centre near Sarovaram Biopark here, saw massive public participation.
MPs Elamaram Kareem and Mani, ministers P A Mohammed Riyas, A K Saseendran and Ahmed Devarkovil, as well as various Christian priests and representatives of various Muslim organisations took part in the event.
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