Gujarat UCC questionnaire row: Panel directs ‘further action’ after complaint by minority body

The letter is signed by Sheetal Goswami, Secretary to the Gujarat UCC Committee, which is headed by Retired Justice Ranjana Desai. The MCC, the official committee of minorities in Gujarat, filed a formal complaint on Sunday a day after its members communicated to (Retd) Justice Desai regarding the alleged  distribution of the “consent form”, which is based on the feedback form uploaded on the Gujarat UCC website.

On Saturday, members of MCC had said that the “unattributed document” was found in several government primary schools in Vadodara city, including Akota and Tandalja areas. The development had occurred 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.

Lodging a complaint with the Gujarat UCC Committee Chairperson, MCC member Sagirahamed Ansari stated, “I wish to bring to your urgent attention that several government-run schools are reportedly coercing students, in place of their parents, to sign documents supporting the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). This practice is not only unethical and misleading, but it also violates the rights of both the 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.”

Ansari also lodged a complaint with the Gujarat Chief Minister’s 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.”

Speaking to The Indian Express on Monday, Ansari said, “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. The form appears to be based on the Gujarat UCC website but we are not aware where it has originated from. We filed a formal complaint on Sunday.”

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 (which comes under the education department). 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.”

Retired Senior IAS officer CL Meena, a member of Gujarat UCC Committee, had told this newspaper on Saturday that the panel had made a “general appeal” to persons who had attained the age of 18 years, to submit their “opinions”, adding no such exercise had been advised for schools.

“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,” he had said.

What is in the document?

The contentious “document”, 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 as well as a suggestion box. 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.

One of the questions seeks opinion on subjects of marriage, divorce, maintenance, live-in relationships and family laws. The questions include opinion on whether “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 right of inheritance and maintenance of children born through live-in relationships.