“The issue of Uniform Civil Code was not just about Tripple Talaq or Muslims, it is about the people of all religions in the country including Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Parsis and others,” former bureaucrat S.M. Jamadar said here on Wednesday.
He was delivering a lecture on “Uniform Civil Code: Need of Hour?” under the Foundation Lecture Series organised by KLE Technological University’s School of Management Studies and Research (SMSR) here on Wednesday.
Addressing management students and people from different walks of life, the former bureaucrat elaborated in detail the differences in various religious practices pertaining to different religions and how despite being a ‘sovereign, socialist, secular democratic republic,’ India had allowed various practices under different ‘Personal Laws.’
Taking exception to projecting the issue of Uniform Civil Code as an issue pertaining only to Muslims, he said it was wrong to project it like that and there was need to sensitise the people on the issue.
He pointed out that the Union Government had already sought a report from the Law Commission of India on the issue and Commission was conducting a survey on through a questionnaire uploaded on its website.
Mentioning that different Acts pertaining to marriage and divorce were in force for different religions in the country, he sought to know why there should be different Acts for religious practices when there was a common criminal law.
Mr. Jamadar pointed out the differences in religious practices, laws pertaining to succession, adoption and also punishment as per religious scriptures among the followers of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Parsism. “Many of these punishments are no longer in force as there is common criminal law now. Since the Constitution of India ensures equality to all citizens there should be uniform civil code also,” he said.
Referring to the argument regarding Lingayatism being separate religion, Mr. Jamadar pointed out that the Privy Council during the British Period had ruled that Lingayatism was not part of Hinduism. However, for some reasons when the Personal Law for Hindus were made, Lingayats were brought under it. Professor and Head of SMSR Prof. S.V. Patil and others were present. Mr Jamadar also clarified the queries of the participants pertaining to Personal Laws.
