Rajeev Deshpande
Uttarakhand’s uniform civil code aims to introduce the same provisions for marriage, divorce and succession for all communities and reduce the divisiveness inherent in different personal laws
A lack of political will to undo a colonial legacy has been the biggest obstacle
Defenders of the idea of a Uniform Civil Code had hoped it would become a reality but the divisions seen in the Constituent Assembly took a turn for the worse in subsequent decades
The Uniform Civil Code will have a liberating effect on the Muslim community. Only the clerics need to fear
Pushkar Singh Dhami’s decision to formulate uniform personal laws in Uttarakhand conveys an unambiguous message but comes with its own challenges
Words and actions of party leaders should not be seen in isolation but as part of a long process of ideological transformation