Experts believe the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) could make it easier for those who want to change to be irreligious!
This may make things easier even for those who want to change or give up one religion or the other. This can make the material and legal implications of the 'options' easier to navigate.
Problem with the present system is that there are inherent 'discrimination'.
Being a Muslim especially for a woman is that the life is 'tied' by a particular set of divorce decrees which may lack the element of justice but which is guided by the yardsticks of faith and so-called traditional practices. On the other hand, being Hindu would mean the individual is trapped by 'birth' to a particular inheritance law.
There are similar debatable issues with regard to Christians and for people from other religions.
Of course, for BJP the UCC is linked to electoral politics because along with it two other agenda items Ram temple at Ayodhya and abrogation of Art 370 gave the party the votes and made it a force - perhaps globally - what it is today! And as politicians the saffron outfit's top guns deserve all benefits of doubt to play 'politics' as they are not into charity business running Teresa homes of Ramakrishna ashrams.
The BJP now awaiting to make a hat-trick of electoral victory under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also has to live up to its reputation. They are guided by popular sloganeering 'Modi hae toh Mumkin hain' and ' Modi Jo bolta hai woh karta hai”. These are assets and also liabilities.
In 2014, the Hindutva champion had played a dream merchant and promised 'Acchey din' (Good Days); some of it were achieved like the Temple and abrogation of Art 370. But jobs remain a complain area and so are other challenges like agrarian crisis.
Therefore, Team Modi needs to keep the cadres energised and also keep the RSS bosses happy that their agendas are being catered to. During last one week or so, gauging by the media hype and opposition to UCC from minorities and political detractors, the BJP karyakarta is more than happy!
Taking these debates further, some Sangh Parivar strategists say -- "It is battle time, and world war-3 (reference to Modi's third time attempt to capture power), and so we cannot rely only one plan" to win a battle. The going could be tough and the BJP workers know it pretty well that only the tough gets going; the tough also needs good issues to sway public mind. The UCC is one of them.
Technically it may be a legal subject related to jurisprudence and justice but the reactions from all corners suggest it is now a political hot patato -- a readily usable issue for polarisation. Mind you, with Ram temple and Art 370 already implemented on ground, the UCC is Modi's political compulsion.
Political opponents may feel the Prime Minister is indulging in double speak. The BJP leaders cannot deny the allegation outright. Only a few days back, Mr Modi was in the US and also Egypt ( a large Muslim-based nation), here the cards were 'inclusive development' and to push Modi's image of a 'catalyst of modernity and transformation'. But back home, he needs to address to the core voters and hence the UCC issue was flagged off like a Pandora'x Box.
India is a Republic and it follows parliamentary democracy. There is a key takeaway for pollsters that a decisive mandate in India have been given either to Indira Gandhi, her son Rajiv Gandhi and Narendra Modi (in 2014 and 2019) and never to a coalition. This logic is certainly in favour of Modi and the opposition camp is still struggling to offer a sincerely face to the Indian voters. The UCC has made the divisions more open and on the other hand, it has made the 2024 Lok Sabha battle almost 'presidential' form as was in 2014.
Either it is Modi or not -- also means you have got the temple and Art 370 was written off, and so to get UCC you need to vote for BJP yet again.
Therefore, some reasons for the BJP/Modi flagging off UCC at this juncture are obvious. For BJP, targeting the “other” always means targeting the tirade against Muslims and this "works better if not the best" to fetch votes.
And on this the Congress is in biggest dilemma because it is easily put in bracket with minorities – Muslims as well as Christians. The BJP remains identified with Hindu voters and for Sikhs, it is Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejriwal --- that is in power in Punjab.
Look at one small benefit/impact of UCC card, the AAP says it supports such a code in principle. Most opposition parties like Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party are heavily inclined towards Muslims, so is RJD in Bihar and to an extent even Sharad Pawar-led NCP in Maharashtra. They may like to garner Hindu votes and will get a substantial numbers but polarisation has always boomeranged on them.
Hence, till now, the Uniform Civil Code as an election issue is hardly a liability for the BJP even as die-hard Congress protagonists such as Kewekhape Therie (a former Nagaland Minister and ex-state Congress chief), says UCC will prove as a Waterloo for the BJP. The real answer to this assertion lies in the womb of time.
ends
 |
| Therie |
No comments:
Post a Comment