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Journalism of Courage
Members of the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Saturday filed a complaint with the panel which is assessing the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Gujarat against a “questionnaire” that is reportedly being circulated in government-run schools asking opinions on several contentious aspects of the proposed code such as inheritance in live-in relationships, divorce, personal laws based on faith and so on, with a box on “suggestions”.
Seeking a probe into the matter, MCC members stated that the “document” was found in a government primary school in Vadodara city’s Akota area and claimed that three days after several government-run schools in Naswadi taluka of Chhota Udepur district were alleged to have “coerced students to file consent” to UCC.
The contentious “document” which is in Gujarati language, is titled “A Questionnaire on Uniform Civil Code- Gujarat” and is based on the form inviting individual suggestions available on the Gujarat UCC website. The print-out of the form, allegedly circulated among schools, includes the same 13 questions listed on the Gujarat UCC website . The form also seeks personal information such as name, mobile phone number, name of the institution through which it is being filled as well as the designation of the person along with the signature.
The questions seek opinion on marriage, divorce, maintenance, live-in relationships and family laws. The questions include opinion on whether the “differential treatment” to rights of men and women in religion-based family laws should be done away with; should there be compulsory registration of divorce and nullity of marriage; whether UCC can be implemented without infringing the fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution; whether women’s rights in live-in relationships should be included under UCC as well as the the right of inheritance and maintenance of children born through live-in relationships.
MCC member Sagirahamed Ansari lodged a complaint with Gujarat UCC Committee Chairperson, Retired Justice Ranjana Desai, stating, “I wish to bring to your urgent attention that several government-run schools are reportedly coercing students to sign documents supporting the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in place of their parents.”
“This practice is not only unethical and misleading, but it also violates the rights of both students and their families… Such actions undermine the principles of informed consent and democratic process. I urge you to take immediate steps to investigate this matter and ensure accountability of those responsible,” said the complaint.
Ansari said he had also lodged a complaint with the Gujarat Chief Ministers’ Office stating, “Such actions undermine the integrity of our educational institutions and exploit minors for political gain.”
“I request your immediate intervention to investigate this matter thoroughly, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that schools remain spaces of learning—not propaganda,” Ansari said in his complaint.
Ansari told The Indian Express, “Volunteers of the minority committee learnt about the form being given to students of the Akota primary school on Saturday”.
“Similar instances have occurred in other government-run schools in the state, where children are being made to sign the form… This is illegal as the children are not only minors but also unaware,” Ansari said.
“The form appears to be based on the Gujarat UCC website but we are not aware where it has originated from.” Ansari added.
Vadodara Education Inspector Shweta Pargi, under whose jurisdiction the municipal corporation-run Akota primary school falls, said that the matter was being “inquired into”. Pargi told The Indian Express, “We have not instructed schools to carry out any exercise related to UCC. There is no such direction issued to teachers to complete any field work for seeking suggestions of individuals for UCC even of persons 18 years and above”.
“Since today is a Saturday and the annual term exams commence on Monday, schools got over early and we were not able to inquire with the principal of the school in question. We will look into the matter on Monday,” Pargi added.
A district official of Chhota Udepur said that the matter that came to light in the tribal area of Naswadi was “being looked into” as teachers of the schools in the region had claimed that the form had been sent by the cluster resource centres.
Meanwhile, an official of the Education Department said, “The teachers have received the general UCC consent forms from the cluster resource centre to fill up responses of individuals… We are still looking into the complaint.”
Gujarat UCC Committee member Retired Senior IAS officer CL Meena told The Indian Express that the UCC committee had made a “general appeal” to persons who had attained the age of 18 years, to submit their “opinions” and no such exercise had been advised for schools.
Meena said, “We will look into the matter. We have made general appeals in public seeking voluntary opinions of persons, who have attained 18 years of age. If there is substance in the complaint that school children under 18 are being made to consent to UCC forms, we will give directions to the district collectors accordingly.”
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