'Muslim Women Were Not Allowed To Have Their Opinions, Now They Will Have Equal Rights': Uttarakhand Speaker On UCC Bill

A two-time MLA and the first woman Speaker of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, Ritu Khanduri is the daughter of former Chief Minister B C Khanduri. She represents Kotdwar Assembly constituency in the Pauri Garhwal district. Ritu Khanduri Bhushan spoke to Ashwani Sharma of Outlook on the newly passed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill which has stirred a nationwide debate.

As the Speaker of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, as well as a woman, how do you feel about the UCC bill and its significance?

Uttarakhand Assembly has become the first to pass this important legislation on Uniform Civil Code. It’s a revolutionary law, on women and their rights, not only in the state but also in the country. The legislation will apply to all sections, irrespective of their caste and religious affiliations. It’s a path to their (women’s) empowerment. Most importantly, the women will have the right to live with dignity.

Several Muslim organisations, including those led by women, say UCC is being forced on them and they do not accept it. What do have to say about that?

Muslim women are saying what they have been told to say. After all, they were never allowed to have their opinion on matters involving their individual matters. But now, they will realise what significant change is going to bring to their lives. The women will have equal rights in case of marriages, divorce, adoption, land, property and inheritance. Practices like Halala and Iddat have been abolished. This is going to bring a positive change in the mindset of the people, who always ill-treated the women.

Muslim women also feel it is an interference in their personal matters.

No, it’s not. Rather, once the UCC is implemented most evils and bad practices going on for decades will end. Everyone will get equal rights. Discrimination between son and daughter and man and woman will also end. More than that the law will create awareness among communities, across religions. Ban on practices like polygamy/polyandry, in any form, is a reformative step that needs to be welcomed by women. How long can women suffer and tolerate it?

The UCC bill has tried to equate live-in relationships with marriages. Experts say mandatory registration of live-in relationships is an invasion of privacy and interference in personal matters of young adults. What do you think?

Live-in relationships are a hard reality now. What’s happening in big cities is heart-wrenching. A lot of men are deserting partners abruptly, and entering into new relationships. But, once UCC comes into force, women will get legal protection (in live-in relationships). Thus, mandatory registration, while starting or ending a live-in relationship, is necessitated.

The UCC also provides for the maintenance of women "deserted" by their partners similar to a married woman. Right now, we may not be having such cases in Dehradun or other towns of Uttarakhand, but as society grows, no one will be able to stop it. Compulsory registrations will go a long way. There will also be no difference between legitimate and illegitimate children under the UCC.

People also have concerns about the fate of inter-faith and inter-caste couples. They could become more vulnerable.

Such fears are unfounded. Rather, there have been reports of deceitful marriages or live-in (commonly known as love-jihad) in the state. A lot of innocent girls/women have fallen victim to such marriages. The UCC will protect vulnerable girls/women against such exploitations.

Do you feel women will really be the beneficiaries?

I am very optimistic about the UCC achieving its desired objectives. But, it is also true that a lot will depend on its implementation. The government is absolutely clear that once the UCC bill becomes an Act, appropriate mechanisms will be in place. Uttrakhand also has a history of strong women-centric movements. Women have been at the forefront of saving the environment, forests and also fighting social evils. It is the right time to shun old taboos and give social and legal protection to women to enforce their rights. We should also try to build public awareness about menstrual issues, which creates stigma and leads to social isolation of young girls/women in rural areas.

The Opposition says Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami did not evolve consensus on UCC. What do you have to say?

It is completely wrong to say so. The expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai held wider consultations and public dialogue. The committee also launched a web portal to get suggestions on the draft, even through WhatsApp. After the bill was introduced in the House, we gave fair opportunity to the Opposition for their meaningful participation in the debate on the legislation.

To whom you give credit for the UCC in Uttrakhand?

I compliment Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for this bold step. He is a young, dynamic person with a clear vision. It is he who is taking this forward, and creating a wider opinion in the country on the UCC.