common civil code

The Constitution of India provides absolute freedom of Religion to all Citizens of India. This means every citizen is free to practise any religion of his /her choice and to propagate the religion. This is true Democracy. Much has been written on Common Civil Code since independence, but it is only a political gimmick which in fact creates hatred among citizens. It is political parties who propagate that different religious law for the follower of different religions is appeasement, but in fact this is true democracy where any individual citizen feels secure to profess religion of his choice and be governed by his own law.

Politically speaking State cannot force the citizens to follow the law which opposes one's religion, if so made, then where the democracy will go?

In my view though it is needed to have some reforms in the pesonal laws where necessary but not in total constrast to one religion. The need of the hour is peace and harmony amongst citizens and eradication of poverty, corruption, terrorisom, check on dishonest polititian who create hatre amongst groups for this own gains. Necessity is in providing education to all, employment to all with no discrimination. The debat on Common Civil Code is only a political agenda which surfaces most of time during elections and thereafter it goes back to cold storage.

There is no honest attempt by any political party to consider and reconsider the question. In fact some times I feel that let the law makers draft a Common Civil Code, present it before all the major religious views and invite suggestions. Take good initiative, educate the masses, re-draft it keep certain provisions which are in conflict as they are like saying certain sections of the code will be divided in (a)... (b)...(c) and so on applicable to those who opt for it under their religious law, then there will be possibility of the Common Civil Code. Consensus is the key word........................

Before talking about 'One Law' for every citizen, we should talk about 'One Law' for Rich and Poor, 'One Law' for the 'Oppressed and the Oppressor', "One Law' for 'vegetarians and non-vegetarians' and so on and so forth. 

If the topic is 'Common Medical Care for All', I could understand. Had it been "Common Education for All', I would have applauded. Without even providing these necessities to our public, if somebody starts this 'Feudal Argument of a Folly', then I am left with no other choice but to state certain facts.

To start with no matter what, all Civil Laws have a orientation towards a certain, Race, Religion, Caste or Creed. What is food for one would be poison for other. The so called 'Common Civil Code' of the west even is necessarily a 'Christian Civil Code', with a lot of changes and allowances for diffent peoples, races and groups. People who read history and legislation would be well versed in these differences and would know the 'Truth' that no Civil code is 'Truly' common.

I would like to relate the following incident in Indian Railways to clarify on this topic that was made into a 'Mountain', when it was just a foolish 'Molehill'.

In a certain A/c coach a 'Vegetarian' opposed a 'Non-vegetarian' having his 'Non-vegetarian' food. When asked by the agitated 'Vegetarian' to intervene, the intelligent Station Master asked the 'Vegetarian' to file a complaint in his 'Station Complaint Book' and took him out for a 15 minute vaccation, by when the 'Non-vegetarian' passenger finished his 'Non-Vegetarian Food' to his satifaction. The Station Master, a prudent man knows that no 'Vegetarian' can impose his will on a 'Non-vegetarian' and took the 'Vegetarian' to task, by making him under go the rigours of filing a futile complaint, while ensuring that the Non-vegetarian excersised his 'God' given right of enjoying his Very Good, Proteinaceous, 'Non-Vegetarian Food' (That might help him win a 'Olympic' gold someday, in this country starved of 'Olympic Glories').

If the 'Station Master' had avered that the 'Directive Principles' of Indian Constitution (Non Binding on any Indian entity and hence not obligatory) discourages 'Non-vegetarinism' and banned the 'Non-vegetarian' passenger from having his 'rightful' 'Non-vegetarian' meal, then he would have paid the price dearly, being served with a 'Penalty' for his unruly intervention with the absolutely legal 'Non-vegetarian' diet of a rightful Passenger of Railways.

Why I state this? If we play with Law for the whims and fancies of a few we will be ending up paying for it with 'strife', as was the case of 'White America' or 'White Australia' where the original inhabitants like Red Indians, Aboriginees, Mexicans and the Blacks were treated like cattle even 5 decades before, until legislation was changed to allow the 'Native Americans' follow their own customs. Curiously, 'The White Anglo Saxans' who captured these nations just 400 years ago, too called their 'Christian Laws' as common civil code.

Another famous example for the folly of 'Common Civil Code' is that of 'Amish Christians' in the 'United States of America' who are allowed to have four wifes as they follow the 'Abrahamic' traditions of 'Christianity'. And the result of this magnanimity has made US a superpower. While 'Turkey' to the contrary was imposing an idiotic 'Western Common Civil Code', due to the folly of 'Kamal Ata Turk' alienating a big chunk of its citizens the 'Kurds' who resorted to a bloody insurgency that cannot be contained by 'Istanbul', to this day.

And that is why Legislation should be left to be dealt with 'Luminaries' like 'Ambedkar' with a staunch background on 'History', 'Sociology' 'Jurisprudence' etc., rather than being approached in a slip shod manner by lay public. That is the best thing for "Indian" progress. Curiously 'Hitler' too supported 'Common Civil Code' for his 'Master German Race' in Germany, which had no place for 'Jews', 'Communists' and 'Non-Christians', until he destroyed 'Germany' and himself. 

But in today scenario law relate the personal laws to the religious customs and traditions and are out and out against any tamper of these laws. The other point that they raise is that when 99 per cent of laws do not cent percent percent protect the interests of citizens, then what is the guarantee of ’uniform civil code’ being successful?
The political propaganda is also yet another way to create divisions in the society.