Guwahati, May 27 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the demand for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India did not originate with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the RSS, asserting that the idea was first raised by the Indian National Congress nearly a century ago.

Participating in the discussion on the proposed UCC Bill in the Assam Assembly, Sarma said the concept of a common civil code had a long historical and constitutional background dating back to the colonial era.

“When we speak about a Uniform Civil Code today, people immediately try to associate it only with the BJP or the RSS. But the history of the demand is much older,” the Chief Minister said in the House.

Sarma claimed that the Indian National Congress had first raised the issue of a common civil code during its 1925 session, long before the formation of the BJP or the Jana Sangh.

“The demand for a Uniform Civil Code was first strongly articulated from the platform of the Congress party itself,” he said.

Referring to developments during British rule, Sarma said legal reforms in areas such as criminal law, evidence, and contracts had already introduced elements of uniformity, although personal laws relating to marriage and inheritance remained outside their scope.

The Chief Minister also cited the Special Marriage Act of 1872, describing it as an early attempt to create a secular civil marriage framework for people who choose to marry outside their personal religious laws.

“That law introduced the concept of secular civil marriage in India for the first time,” he said.

Sarma also referred to the Nehru Committee Report and women’s reform movements, noting that several leaders and organisations had advocated a gender-equal common code decades ago.

“The movement for gender equality through a common civil code is not new. It has existed since the 1920s and 1930s,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the Congress, Sarma expressed disappointment over the party’s current opposition to the proposed UCC.

He said he knew the Congress ideology was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, but questioned why the party had now moved away from its earlier position.

The Assam government has maintained that the proposed UCC aims to ensure equality, gender justice, and uniform civil rights across communities.

–IANS

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