A Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will “bind Bharat” more effectively, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Tuesday, warning that any further delay in its implementation would be “corrosive for our values”. He was addressing the 25th convocation of IIT Guwahati.
The Parliamentary standing committee on Law and Justice — which comes under the ambit of the Rajya Sabha — is deliberating on the UCC and held its first meeting on Monday. Mr. Dhankhar is chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
The Vice President pointed out that the UCC had been recommended by the authors of the Indian Constitution under the directive principles of state policy, which was termed by the founding fathers as “fundamental in governance of the country”. It is the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws, he added. He also noted that the panchayat system, the third tier of governance, had also evolved based on the directive principles, as was the right to education for which laws have now been framed.
“Any further delay in implementation of Uniform Civil Code will be corrosive of our values. The underlying sublimity has to be appreciated and understood. This will bind Bharat, it’s nationalism more effectively; this was the thought process of founding fathers of the Constitution. Friends, just reflect and think about it, there can be no premise or rationale to impede or delay the implementation of directive principles when we are in Amrit kaal,” he added.
Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present during the address.
