Don't Submit Universal Civil Code Report In Haste, Understand Tribals' Practices First: RSS Tribal Body To Law Panel

The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram on Sunday welcomed the suggestion of a parliamentary committee chairman Sushil Modi to keep tribals out of the purview of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
     
In a statement, the organisation also asked the Law Commission not to submit its report in haste, urging it to first understand the customary practices and traditions of the tribal communities from their prominent members and organisations.
     
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) body urged the members of the scheduled tribes and their organisations to submit their views to the Law Commission if they have any concerns about the proposed UCC, instead of being "misled" by discussions on social media on the issue.
     
BJP MP Sushil Modi, chairman of a parliamentary panel on Law, recently advocated keeping tribals, including those in the Northeast, out of the purview of any likely UCC at a meeting while some opposition members questioned the Law Commission's timing of the move to begin consultations on the contentious issue.
    
“We welcome the role of Sushil Kumar Modi, the head of the parliamentary committee, in keeping the scheduled tribes out of this law,” Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram's vice president Satyendra Singh said in a statement.
     
Singh said that a lot of discussions are going on, especially in social media, these days about the UCC “due to which common people are getting confused”.
     
“Tribal society is also no exception to this. Some people with vested interests are also misleading the tribal society,” he said.
     
In such a situation, the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram wants to alert tribal society, especially their socio-cultural organisations and educated class that they should not be misled by anyone, Singh said.
     
“Right now it is not even clear what the government is going to do. If the people of tribal society and their organisation feel that due to this (UCC), there will be any adverse impact on their customary practices and systems, then they should directly raise their concerns before the Law Commission,” he said, adding, “You can submit your views to Law Commission online till July 14”
     
Singh said the Law Commission will submit its report to the central government after consultation with all the stakeholders, and only after that the government will bring a bill to Parliament.
     
Kalyan Ashram will also give its suggestions or feedback when such a bill comes, he added.
     
“Kalyan Ashram also requests the Law Commission to visit various tribal areas of the country and try to deeply understand their transitional system and their views on the subjects like marriage, divorce, adoption, and succession after holding discussions with prominent people and organizations of the tribal society,” Singh said.
     
The Commission should not submit its report in haste, he added.