'The time has come to...': Vice President calls for implementation of Uniform Civil Code

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• Jul 5, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar stated on Tuesday that the time has come to implement...

Digital Desk: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar stated on Tuesday that the time has come to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as envisioned by the founders of the Constitution. 

Addressing the 25th convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Dhankhar also stated that Article 44 of the Constitution clearly states that the state will endeavor to secure the Uniform Civil Code for its citizens across the country.

"This was the thought process of the founding fathers. There can be no justification for obstruction or further delay now that the moment has come for its execution," he said.

The framers of the Constitution were certain that the Directive Principles were vital in the governance of the country, which reflected in the state's duty to implement these principles in framing laws, he added.

''In light of this assumption, I am astounded by some people's reactions when the UCC is attempted to be implemented. Politics cannot be pursued at the cost of the nation and nationalism," he stated.

The UCC seeks to replace personal laws based on religion, customs, and traditions with a single common law that applies to everyone, regardless of religion, caste, creed, sexual orientation, or gender.

A common code is likely to cover personal laws as well as rules relating to inheritance, adoption, and succession.

''The underlying sublimity of this must be grasped and comprehended, as it will more effectively bond the nation. Any additional delay in UCC implementation will be damaging to our ideals,'' the Vice President said in his speech.

"Politicians are free to practice whatever politics they wish, but there must be a ''common denominator within the frame and respect for the nation and nationalism,'' Dhankhar added.

"The country has reached a point where the impact of its growth is being felt globally, and it is the ''primary duty of everybody to be proud of being Indians together with our historical achievements,'' Dhankhar said.

India is home to one-sixth of humanity, and the country's human resources are having a worldwide influence, he said at the convocation.

He urged the students who will soon be contributing to the economy to be devoted to ''economic nationalism'' and not compromise it for fiscal gains.

''I believe in the global trade framework, but our economy should not be bled by other forces. ''The youth should build an ecology in which economic nationalism can flourish,'' he said.

Moreover, he stated that no foreign body may be permitted to jeopardize the country's sovereignty, reputation, or constitutional institutions.

''We are the world's largest, oldest, most lively, most functional democracy, contributing to global peace and harmony. It is thus concerning that, on a regular basis and in a strategic fashion, anti-national narratives are orchestrated with the goal of tarnishing and denying this anti-Bharat narrative,'' he said.

The choreographers of this story must be rejected, and "this can be done by young and trained minds who carry the tag of prestigious institutions like the IIT-G," the Vice President stated.

During the last nine years, the country has experienced transparency and accountability in governance, as well as a zero-tolerance policy, he said.

People have realized that the hand of the law is long, but when accused of corruption, individuals who have held positions of power or constitutional authority turn to the streets rather than seek judicial recourse, he said.

He advised individuals to have the ability to distinguish, to recognize what is good and wrong, and to avoid silent, which he described as "very costly for the nation."

Altogether, 2011 students received their degrees during the convocation. They comprise 816 B.Tech and B.Design students, 659 M.Tech and M.Design students, and 298 PhD students.

The Vice President and his wife, Sudesh Dhankhar, planted a Rudraksha and a Brahmakamal sapling at the IITG campus.