Shillong, July 17: BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai has petitioned Law Commission chief to exclude scheduled areas of Meghalaya from the purview of Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
In a letter to Law Commission of India chairman Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Sanbor said, “The UCC if implemented in Meghalaya risks interference with the unique beauty of matrilineal norms of the society in Meghalaya. The central government has been kind enough during the implementation of CAA wherein tribal areas of the northeastern states have been exempted. Thus, the same principle should be applied to uphold the traditional matrilineal customary law of the tribal communities of Meghalaya.”
“Therefore, to retain the proud district character, tradition and rich culture which have been protected by the constitution of India and the country, it is an earnest appeal that the implementation of UCC should be excluded from the scheduled area of the state of Meghalaya,” he said.
He said the UCC is a concern and added, “Any law implemented by the country should safeguard the interests of the minorities besides protecting the rich and traditional heritage of the tribal communities of the Northeastern states of the country.”
According to Sanbor ,the unique and distinct characteristic of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo hills region of the state of Meghalaya is the embodiment of self-governance established under the constitution and hence the proposed implementation of the uniform civil code may perhaps dilute the old age valuable custom, beliefs and tradition practised since time immemorial, which is the unique identity that defines the minority tribal people of the state of Meghalaya and absolutely distinct from the rest of the country.
