Shillong, May 27: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the Meghalaya government remains cautious about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) but expressed some relief after examining provisions adopted by states such as Assam and Uttarakhand, where tribal laws have been kept outside the scope of the legislation.
On previous occasions, Sangma said that the UCC goes against the very idea of India as a diverse nation.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said his earlier opposition to the UCC stemmed from concerns that a uniform law could interfere with the customary practices and matrilineal system followed by tribal communities in Meghalaya.
“I have been very clear on UCC from one perspective. I cannot comment on a UCC if I don’t see the format of the UCC,” he said.
The CM said that when the idea of a UCC was initially discussed nationally, there was uncertainty over what exactly the law would include and whether it would override existing tribal customs and traditional systems.
“At that point in time, it was only the word ‘UCC’ that was there in front of me. It could be left to anybody’s imagination as to what that UCC could mean,” he said. “We were worried that our matrilineal system could be changed and a national law could completely alter the way tribals in our state follow their traditions.”
However, he noted that recent UCC frameworks introduced in states such as Assam and Uttarakhand appeared to exempt tribal customary laws.
“Now that we have seen the context of it and how the UCCs are coming out in different states, I am slightly more at ease because they are not touching tribal laws,” he said.
Sangma clarified that Meghalaya would continue to study the provisions carefully before taking any position on the matter.
