Skip to main content

The Search for Similitude

KM Munshi, a revered drafting committee member, wanted a uniform civil code; otherwise, he believed it would be impossible to reform the attitude of Hindu society towards women. However, the case for a uniform civil code would lose out to a 5:4 vote split in the same and has remained a controversial page ever since. Today, the call for UCC is pressing in the Islamic corners of Indian society, as the supreme court noted in its landmark Shah Bano case of 1985. The then-incumbent prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was already worried about his northeast and south pursuits and did not want to mettle with the turbulent religious politics. Ever since BJP has made it a part of the manifesto.

There are a few merits to the UCC case, such as the ambiguous nature of marriages in multiple committees and the growing disparity in the civil laws between the Hindu and Muslim communities. one of the most cited examples is the provision of polygamy in the Muslim community and the triple lakh law. Present-day politics need to be more polarised to accommodate these differences. One of the greatest needs for the UCC comes from the women population, which remains a vulnerable class in the rural and economically deprived sections of society. In principle, the UCC would give an equal legal standpoint to all citizens of the country and could work to alleviate the anger against political appeasement.

However, social laws and amendments have always drawn scepticism. The BN Rau committee, which drafted a familiar series of rules for Hindus of the country, had to underwrite several special provisions to accommodate Hindu practices around the country. For example, interfamily marriage among cross cousins is considered contentious in the north but auspicious in the south. Such has also been the case with IPC rules, with each State having disparity in fines and criminal procedures. Any exercise to iron out these differences will be insensitive to the accumulated diversity and states nurture as their identity.

Perhaps that's why multiple committees have often delayed the implementation of the UCC, calling the Indian society premature for the grand uniformity. This is where the Indian union closely resembles the European Union, an assembling of states which agree on polity and economics. However, when it comes to civil and personal laws, it is uncomfortable to have the State interfere in them. This leaves us with a final question, what about the injustices prevalent in religious laws? We will have to cherry-pick and criminalise them, as with their antecedents, until religion becomes a personal affair and the State can enforce common basic civil laws. 

Popular posts from this blog

Changing face of Entertainment

The entertainment industry in India is waiting for yet another disruptive innovation, with millions of young users equipped with gigabytes of data every day, there is a new untapped customer base. Not particularly untapped since it makes do with pirated movies and free web series. But, there is an apparent lack of entertainment streamed towards them. Also, the shift from television sets to mobile devices, sets the stage clear for a change in content. the spikes in porn consumption and adult web series do speak of this unattended guest. The popularity of two platforms, mostly youtube and TikTok, have also helped in developing a new class of actors. To name a few Sumeet Vyas, Jitendra, Bhuvan Bam and much more. It has become apparent that the arduous task of going from one to another production house seeking a side role in a daily soap or movie, is on a decline. Not that, people won't get their debut at soaps and movies, but it seems easier to get a web series and keep working tha...
dive in...

Into the fuzziness

One way to put a banner on the course of human civilization is to call it an escape from uncertainty ( most of which would have led us to death). Why do we live in societies? To save ourselves from the uncertainty of getting attacked... Why do we build houses? To mitigate the uncertainty of getting our food washed away in the rain... Why do we rear children? So that we don't fast ourselves to death in old age. So in all these cases, the sheer uncertainty in the future has made us make expensive investments in the present. And those who didn't give in to these fears took a risk.  The pay-off of that risk is, however, independent of the past. In some cases, the risk turned out to be a golden gamble. Just like a flood washing away houses of people...the ones who hadn't built their houses were a little less sad. Risk can give an unexpected reward, but the higher the risk, the greater the return.  But at times, the risk is otherwise. Instead of choice for the individual, it beco...
dive in...

Religiously Yours: The Role of Preachers and the Search for Truth

Most people search for hope, for belonging, for purpose. Religion can offer all of that, but if it ever sidelines your freedom to choose, to think, to wonder—something precious is lost. So, what’s the answer? Not confrontation, but honest, unguarded questions. Questions that aren’t meant to provoke or undermine, but to genuinely understand and maybe even reshape how we see the world, each other, and ourselves. See, preachers—like everyone else—filter their teachings through layers of personal experience. Some are gentle guides, others take a hard line, but most fall somewhere in the middle. That’s not surprising. We all lean on what we know: our stories, our histories, our mistakes. It’s just that, for religious teachers, this bias carries extra weight. Sometimes their perspective anchors a community, offering stability and belonging. Other times, accumulated bias can make a religion feel rigid or exclusionary—raising walls instead of building bridges. There’s an intricate relationshi...
dive in...