Modi’s push for a single personal law in India sparks renewed debate and disquiet

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In India, matters of marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance fall under multiple religious and customary laws, only some of which are codified. Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Parsis, for instance, have their own rules, resulting in a complex system of laws, some of which have been criticised as patriarchal and backward. The proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) seeks to replace this with a single set of common laws for everyone. 

These fresh moves have revived the debate over the UCC’s practicality and whether it will lead to a dilution of local customs and traditions in the multi-faith and multicultural country of 1.4 billion people. 

The BJP has framed the push for a UCC as a way to achieve parity between the sexes. In 2019, the party said it “believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time India adopts a Uniform Civil Code, which protects the rights of all women”.

For qns on equality....