Uttarakhand’s UCC is Unconstitutional, Anti-People
A discussion on Uttarakhand’s recently imposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was organised by the All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ) at the Municipal Hall in Nainital on 30 March. The session began with floral tributes to revolutionary icons Chandra Singh Garhwali, Gaura Devi, Shridev Suman, and Shaheed Comrade Chandrashekhar.
Speaking as the chief speaker, CPI(ML) Uttarakhand State Secretary Indresh Maikhuri denounced the UCC as unconstitutional, anti-people, anti-minority, and anti-women. He called for its outright rejection by the people of Uttarakhand. He argued that while the Constitution envisions a uniform civil code for the entire nation, the BJP-led Dhami government has selectively imposed it in Uttarakhand to further its communal and patriarchal agenda.
He pointed out that the mandatory marriage registration clause would force people to stand in queues for months, creating unnecessary hardships. Moreover, district magistrates have been instructed to compel teachers and government employees to complete marriage registrations within a month or face salary cuts—a move he slammed as illegal and coercive.
He further highlighted that the law infringes on the right to privacy by demanding extensive personal details for marriage, divorce, and live-in relationships. He criticised its regressive stance on live-in relationships, effectively criminalising them under the garb of moral policing. He equated this to the violent right-wing attacks on Valentine’s Day, now given legal sanction through the UCC.
Senior advocate and Uttarakhand Bar Council ex-President, former MP Dr Mahendra Singh Pal, echoed these concerns, arguing that any law must be judged against the spirit of the Indian Constitution. “This UCC is neither constitutional nor in the interest of the people. The BJP government is using the law as an instrument of majoritarian rule,” he asserted.
In his presidential address, High Court Bar Association President Durga Singh Mehta remarked that fear and uncertainty had gripped the public following the introduction of the UCC. He warned that the law, backed by BJP-RSS affiliates, was designed to deepen communal divisions.
Other speakers, including CPI(ML) leaders, legal experts, trade union representatives, and cultural activists, underscored the authoritarian character of the law and resolved to continue mobilising against it. The discussion was moderated by AILAJ convenor Advocate Kailash Joshi.
