The Prime Minister’s call for Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has left the Muslim organisations divided down the middle. While the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) lost no time in running down the proposal, and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind followed suit shortly after, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has refrained from reacting to Mr. Modi’s call. The Jamaat feels that the UCC affects all Indians, including the vast tribal population and it would not be wise to decry or accept a proposal whose contours are yet to be clearly outlined.
At a closed-door meeting of the bigwigs of the Jamaat, it was decided to adopt a wait and watch policy till the “time the government frames a draft law”.
“The Prime Minister has merely called for it in a public speech. The Law Commission too has only sought opinion at this stage. There is no need for Muslims to react at this juncture,” a Jamaat official said, adding, “Why do we see the UCC as a Hindu-Muslim divide? The majority community which enjoys huge benefits under the Hindu Undivided Family Act has so far not reacted to Mr. Modi’s statement. It is for them and the tribal community to speak out. There are millions of tribals in the country who cannot be put under the umbrella of Hinduism. The religious minorities have the cushion of Article 25. Not much is going to be served by participating in a debate which does not have a clear outline.”
