Srinagar, July 09: Maintaining that India is a secular country where the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and faith to its every citizen, Chairman J&K Peoples Democratic Front (JKPDF) and former minister Hakeem Yaseen on Sunday said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be a direct infringement in the Sharia law and religious affairs. He said that unity in diversity was the hallmark of Indian ethos and that any amendment in the Indian Constitution for UCC will severely affect the religious rights of minorities.
In a statement issued here, Hakeem while expressing venting his reservation on the proposal of UCC said the move would “usurp” the religious rights of the minorities and would severely infringe on the Sharia law of the Muslim community. He urged the Central government “not to play” with the religious sentiments of minorities for “vote bank politics” but to protect their constitutional rights and guarantees to reinforce trust and faith in them.
“UCC is against the idea of secular India and would cause polarisation of the society which in no way was in the interest of the country, its sovereignty and integrity. In fact, the national integrity, safety, security and fraternity are best preserved if we maintained the diversity of our nation by permitting minorities to be governed by their own religious and personal laws,” he said.
The PDF chairman said that instead of pushing for a majoritarian concept of UCC, the Centre should guarantee the protection of religious rights, faiths, customs and identity to the minorities which would go a long way to keep intact the social fabric of the country. “The UCC instead of cementing emotional communal bonds would dilute individual customary laws and rights of the minorities that have been guaranteed to them by the Constitution of India,” he said.
Hakeem has made a fervent appeal to the intelligentsia and civil society members of the country to block any move to “amend the Constitution” for the purpose of UCC, saying, “Every loyal citizen of the country shall have to be extraordinarily cautious at this crucial time against the machinations of religious polarisation of society.”
