Among ideas for UCC expert panel: register live-in relations, equal rights for women

On Thursday, the five-member panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, will meet representatives of different political parties to listen to their suggestions.

This comes days after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s remarks on May 16 that the committee has finished nearly 90% of its work and is expected to submit its proposals by June-end.

On this, Justice Desai said she cannot comment on it, except that they will “try to send the draft by that date”.

Wednesday’s interaction, organised at IRDT Auditorium in Dehradun, had in attendance several scholars and people from both Hindu and Muslim communities, besides students, teachers, lawyers, performing artistes, and representatives of the transgender community, among others.

Some of the suggestions offered included more rights to transgenders, linking marriages with Aadhaar to reduce cases of fraud, registering live-in relationships, easing the marriage registration process, and a law on population control.

Justice Desai told the media afterward: “A lot of work still remains. The public interaction today was very good. Tomorrow (Thursday) we are meeting different political parties to take their suggestions. Some of the drafts are ready but we cannot say at this point when it will be completed because we still need to do a lot of discussion.”

Noting that this is “a very big work”, she, however, said that “you will get the UCC soon”.

On the interaction, she said, “Most people spoke about live-in relationships and equality in rights given to women,” she said. “Women and children are our focus, too. That gained a lot of support [from the participants] — everybody said there should be equal rights in property, and everywhere [else]. Ladies and men should be on equal footing.”

Similar suggestions were given during her meeting with different constitutional bodies earlier in the day.

The other members of the panel are former Chief Justice of Sikkim Justice Permod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, former Uttarakhand chief secretary Shatrughan Singh, and Doon University V-C Surekha Dangwal.

Justice Desai had earlier said that besides preparing a report on implementing the UCC in Uttarakhand, the committee will also examine relevant laws regulating personal civil matters such as marriage, divorce, property rights, succession, inheritance, adoption, maintenance, custody, and guardianship. The committee will prepare draft laws or suggest changes in the existing laws on civil matters.