With all the hoopla surrounding Uniform Civil Code (or UCC) and the way it’d affect every Indian, you’d be compelled to take a side for or against it.
Whenever there’s talk about UCC, the focus invariably diverts towards Indian Muslims. Most Indians have their own religion-sanctioned personal laws, but Muslims in India are given a majority of the attention. After all, Muslims are the largest minority group in India.
Uniform Civil Code as a blessing
Uniform Civil Code is a blessing in disguise for all Indian Muslims. Though, they may be led to believe otherwise by both their religious leaders (like AIMPLB) and the very people who’re rooting arrogantly for this legislation.
While the former will argue that UCC will take away their religious rights, the latter will take pride in making Muslims bow down to their will.
No matter how much Muslims deny that Islam needs reform, it really does. Islam carries a lot of outdated verses and practices from years of cultural abuse by its self-appointed leaders, all of who happen to be men by the way.
UCC will bypass all that and give all Indian Muslims equal legal rights, regardless of their gender or any other identity.
You know how much one would have to fight in a Muslim-majority nation to get that? It’s so unimaginable that even people vocal about human rights have sort of come to expect less from such nations (and even all Muslims) by default. Others make fun of even thinking about it.
The biggest benefit of UCC will be releasing Muslim women from the clutches of Muslim men, granting them equal freedom, at least legally. That’s a huge reform.
The actual cultural reform will take time, but with legal backing, it’s just one or two generations away. Hopefully. We’ll be almost on par with developed nations.
No more repressive marriage and divorce laws. Say goodbye to skewed inheritance and succession laws. Kick out self-appointed religious leaders with legal powers to enforce their tyrannical views.
An end to all religious laws. Heck, one less reason for the privileged majority to justify their anti-Muslim bigotry too.
Women make up almost 50% of Indian Muslim population. They’ve been held back by their own community, not allowing them to contribute much, let alone prosper.
While this is true for other communities (after all we live in a patriarchal society), at least they’re not all bound by regressive religious personal laws.
Imagine the progress Muslims will be able to make if all of them are empowered? No restrictions whatsoever.
Muslim men might think their rights are being taken away, and yes, they are. Rightfully so, because these are never rights in the first place. It’s plain oppression in the garb of benevolence.
So, for Muslim men, it’s time to ponder about that and work towards restoring equality. The least Muslim men can do is just shut up.
Indian Muslims are one of the largest groups of Muslims in the world, even though they are a minority in the country. They’re also one of the least educated and most backward communities in India.
With no legal shackles to hold every Indian Muslim back, the UCC will help them grow and prosper, setting an example for all Muslims worldwide.
I’d suggest all Indian Muslims to embrace this unexpected gift. We can’t keep discriminating against Muslim women in the name of religious laws forever. UCC is actually good for the Indian Muslim community. It’ll help us all prosper.
Demand for UCC, not agitate
Instead of resisting and agitating against it, Indian Muslims should be demanding UCC from the present government and ask them to table a first draft as soon as possible.
The draft would reveal whether the present Modi-led government really cares about social reform and uplifting Muslim women or it’s just yet another of BJP’s PR antics to garner hate votes.
Either way, Indian Muslims should keep demanding for UCC and make AIMPLB a relic of the past. It’s the only way forward towards a better future for the Muslim community in India.
