Former Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M Lanong has said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) should be opposed by everyone in Meghalaya and not just the district councils.
The UCC is meant to replace various laws applicable to different religious communities that are inconsistent with each other.
However, Lanong said that the UCC will pose a great threat to minority rights.
“I totally oppose and will not agree to the UCC at any cost because if you say ‘uniform’ then everything will be lost, including the status of us being Schedule Tribes and minorities, our rights and so on and so forth,” he told Highland Post recently. “We will not accept such a thing and we have to fight against it.”
The three autonomous district councils of Meghalaya recently held a joint meeting where they unanimously decided to oppose the implementation of the UCC in Sixth Schedule areas.
Chief Executive Member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Titosstarwell Chyne, has said that a resolution in this regard will also be passed in each of the three district councils soon.
According to him, the UCC will have a direct impact on the powers and functions of the district councils and the unique customs and traditional practices, etc, of Meghalaya’s tribes.
