Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implemented Uttarakhand Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said this is a model law which will be widely debated and then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments will bring a Uniform Civil Code in all states, accusing the Congress of weakening the Constitution and appeasement. Accused of promoting politics. ,

Responding to the debate on the 75th year of the Constitution Rajya SabhaThe combative Shah drew differences between the constitutional amendments brought by the Congress and the BJP, arguing that the BJP pushed for the changes for personal gain and power. In the 85-minute speech, he also alleged that the Congress never respected reservations, wanted to break the 50% limit to bring in religion-based quota, and attacked the opposition party over the imposition of Emergency.

“We work democratically… A law that brought about huge changes in social life was passed as a model law UttarakhandIt will be legally examined and discussed by religious heads…suggestions will be accepted. After that, BJP governments will bring a uniform civil code in all states,” he said.

“It could not be brought till now due to the appeasement politics of Congress.”

UCC refers to a common set of laws that will amalgamate the customary laws of different religions and govern issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance. Part of the trinity of core ideological goals of the BJP, the UCC was one of the party’s poll promises in the 2022 assembly elections.

Last February, Uttarakhand passed a UCC law, granting women equal rights in marriage, divorce, alimony and inheritance of property, banning certain types of relationships, banning polygamy, registration of marriages It was made mandatory and mandatory registration or self-declaration was done to survive. -In relationships. The law has not yet been implemented.

decades old demand ucc – which is a part of the non-equitable Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution – is linked to India’s complex system of personal laws, rules and customs, especially for religious minorities. The UCC would, in theory, impose uniform rules for marriage, divorce, inheritance, financial compensation and adoption for all communities, but many activists and experts fear that it would eliminate the customs and traditions of particular communities. Can, and can become a proxy. Target their beliefs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly made a strong case for the UCC and the BJP has promised to bring a common law if it wins elections in Jharkhand earlier this year.

Shah said that BJP amended the Constitution 22 times in 16 years and Congress 77 times in 55 years. He said the intention behind the amendments reflected whether the party had confidence in the document or not.

“The constitutional amendments made by our government were aimed at strengthening democracy and ensuring equal rights for the underprivileged, the opposition’s amendments were only to retain political power,” he said.

“The first amendment was made on June 18, 1951… After the framing of the Constitution, the Congress did not have enough patience to wait for the Lok Sabha elections before going to power… Article 19A was added to curtail the freedom Of the speech… Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister at that time,” he said.

He said, the second amendment was the 24th amendment made by the then PM Indira Gandhi on November 5, 1971, which sought to curtail the fundamental rights of the citizens. He said, “The 39th Amendment on August 10, 1975, which exempted the election of the PM and the President from judicial scrutiny, was invoked to protect the political leadership during the Emergency when Indira Gandhi’s election was declared invalid. “

After this, he termed the 42nd amendment brought to extend the tenure of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by six years as a step taken out of fear of defeat in the elections.

He tried to draw a comparison with the changes initiated by the BJP. Shah said the 101st amendment in 2018 brought the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which revolutionized India’s tax structure by establishing an integrated taxation system. “In 2018, the 102nd Amendment gave constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). Modi did this because Congress did not believe in the welfare of backward classes… In 2019, the 103rd amendment was introduced, giving 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)… For years, Congress Talked about poor welfare. welfare of the poor) but the will was not there for it,” he said.

The minister mentioned two more amendments – the 105th amendment in 2021 that gave state governments the power to identify socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) and the 106th amendment in December 2023, which created 33% reservation for women in assemblies and the Lok Sabha. Reservation approved. According to the Women’s Reservation Bill.

He mocked the Congress for blaming electronic voting machines for the election defeat. “These days they blame EVMs. When they lost in Maharashtra, the EVMs were malfunctioning, but when they won in Jharkhand, they wore new clothes and rushed to take oath,” he said.

Shah accused Congress of insulting BR Ambedkar and said that Congress wanted to increase the quota limit by more than 50% to accommodate Muslims. He said, “Even if BJP has only one MP, we will not allow reservation on the basis of religion.” Congress MPs protested, saying that the party never recommended reservation on the basis of religion.

Shah accused successive Congress prime ministers from Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi of not being in favor of caste-based reservation and said it was the BJP that gave constitutional status to the OBC Commission and allowed reservation for them in NEET and JEE.

Amid protests from the opposition, he said, “These days some leaders see reservation as a formula to win elections…but the Kaka Kalelkar report was put on the back burner.” He was referring to the first OBC Commission report which was never implemented.

When Congress leader Jairam Ramesh objected and said that a copy of the report could be seen in the Parliament library, Shah replied, “He did not send it to the Cabinet nor put it before Parliament, he kept it in the Library.” kept.”

Challenging the Congress to clarify its position on Muslim Personal Law, Shah said that its introduction marked the beginning of appeasement politics in the country. “If they want Muslim personal law, why don’t they allow punishment for crimes under Sharia…that’s where they started appeasement,” he said.

Responding to Congress MP Digvijay Singh’s taunt on why UCC has not been implemented yet, Shah said it is because of the policies of the opposition party.

Accusing the Congress of treating the Constitution as a “private family property” (private property of a family), Shah said that when Article 35(A) – which gives the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir the power to decide domicile – was introduced If done, constitutional provisions were violated. Through Presidential Order and not brought before Parliament, and when Article 1 was amended to “cede” Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka.

He also underlined the excesses committed during the Emergency. “I used to listen to Binaka Geet Mala on the radio…when it was stopped, a neighbor told me that Kishore Kumar’s songs could not be played on the radio and all his songs would be sung by Lata Mangeshkar…” Shah Said.

Shah praised Indian democracy and said that it did not allow dictatorship in the country. “In the last 75 years, there have been many nations that became independent and made new beginnings, but democracy could not succeed there. But the roots of our democracy run very deep. We made many changes without shedding even a drop of blood. The people of this country have shattered the ego of many dictators and that too in a democratic manner.”

Urging people not to link patriotism or bravery with ideology, religion or politics, the minister attacked the Congress for not respecting VD Savarkar and said the freedom fighter did not deserve the title of Veer (brave) from any political party. , but rather earned from the people of the country. Country.

“From 1857 to 1947, if there was anyone who was sentenced to life imprisonment twice in the same lifetime, it was Veer Savarkar. If anyone had the courage to jump into the sea for the freedom of the country, it was Veer Savarkar. In the same jail, two brothers served the sentence of Kala Pani for 10 years, but did not even see each other. There is no other such brave family in the entire country.

He also cited Indira Gandhi’s letter praising Savarkar. The comments come days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha that Savarkar did not believe in the Constitution and that his grandmother Indira Gandhi had told him how Savarkar had compromised with the British.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s election slogan ‘love shop’, Shah said, ‘I want to tell them that love cannot be sold in any shop… it is an emotion; This is something worth feeling.”

Congress retaliated. Ramesh said, “Amit Shah lied for 90 minutes…It was just an attack on Congress, it was not a speech…Amit Shah insulted the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha.”

As soon as her Hindi teacher announced a group quiz in class one day, fear gripped the 15-year-old girl hiding in the back benches at a private school in the South. DelhiAs other students gathered in groups of friends, she stood alone in a corner – knowing that the teacher would have to include her in a group.

“No one chose me. “I sat in a circle with a group, and gave a book to a classmate, who said, ‘Who the hell got my book,'” recalled the 15-year-old. Months later she cried in class over this comment.

Born in an unauthorized colony in South Delhi, the girl grew up seeing her family struggling with money. With dreams of a better future in his eyes, his father enrolled him in a private school 300 meters away from the slum under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota. “My parents put me here thinking it was a famous private school that is now accessible to the poor… but I hate it here. No one talks to me because I am from a slum,” Kishore said on a cold December evening.

Her friend, a 14-year-old student from another prestigious school in south Delhi, is shocked by the revelation. When she consoled her friend sitting next to her at the tuition centre, she shared her completely different experience. “I also got admission in school under this ews quotaOur father is a driver and there is not much money at home. But I never faced any discrimination in school. The teachers are supportive and encouraging. I’m like any other student there… I can’t connect with my friend, but I feel sorry for him,” she said.

She said her friends did not know where she lived or what her father did for a living. “I go to school in a van, they don’t know I live here. Maybe if they came to know, they would treat me the same way. But I can always complain about this to my teachers. They’ll set them straight,” he said confidently.

Between the experiences of these two teenagers hangs a mixed bag of consequences from one of India’s most significant educational reforms – the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which provides for “free and compulsory education for all children aged six to 14 years.” ” has been called for. ” and ordered that 25% seats in private, unaided schools will be reserved for children from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS).

Since its inception, Delhi-based lawyer and activist Ashok Aggarwal has seen the system falter and then slowly evolve. He said, cases of discrimination have reduced but have not ended.

“Till a few years ago, cases of rampant discrimination were more common in private schools. Now, the nature of complaints is different. In the past, there were complaints by parents about EWS quota students being made to sit in separate classes or being forced to wear different uniforms. The schools will motivate the parents of general category students to raise their voice against the inclusion of EWS quota students in classes. The situation has become better now,” he said.

“There are still cases of bheda bhaav (discrimination), but now the most common complaints are about schools not providing books and uniforms to EWS category students, as is mandatory,” Agarwal said. He said the reason behind the apparent change is the important role played by the courts in uprooting schools.

However, for a 15-year-old, that’s little consolation. She has two friends in school – both from the EWS category – and on days when both of them are absent, school becomes unbearable. “Teachers do not let us easily participate in annual functions or any school assembly programme. If I ask for an extra pencil my classmates will not give it to me. They are children from big families, why would they share anything with me? (They are rich kids, why would they share anything with me?” she said. “Bahut dukh hota hota hai (I feel very sad)).”

slowly getting better

Living in the same tuition center with two teenagers, a 12-year-old boy in Class 7 said that his biggest lesson from staying in a private school in an affluent neighborhood for eight years was to always complete his homework before going to school. And avoid it. Getting into a fight with a student.

“If a rich kid beats a kid from a poor family, the teachers don’t say anything. But if a poor child beats a child from a rich family, we get punished,” he said. “Is this discrimination?”

A former teacher at Vasant Valley School, who worked there for over two decades, said that while sensitization workshops for teachers can be helpful, the need of the hour is to initiate a dialogue among private schools across the city. Schools that are better at running inclusive classes can tell other schools about the tools and methods they have implemented. “Conferences on this can help us all learn and learn from each other. When the EWS quota was implemented, there were only three-four children in this category, and they stood out. But once the numbers increased it got better. The numbers help,” she said.

Advocate and activist Khagesh Jha agreed.

“It started as an experiment in 2004. At that time, the number of EWS quota students was very less. They faced harassment and ostracism. Once it was made mandatory that 25% seats had to be kept aside after 2009, the numbers increased and we saw that the cases of discrimination were reducing.

But problems remain. This winter, the parents of a six-year-old EWS student at a school in East Delhi could not get him a winter jacket with his uniform. “The school refused to give him a uniform, so we had to buy it. we spent Spent $2,000 on clothes including sweaters, but were unable to buy jackets; it was for another 2,000,” said the child’s 52-year-old grandmother, who fought hard to get him admitted to a private school.

His son is the sole breadwinner and earns 9,000 per month as an assistant at a shop. The grandmother said, “This expenditure on books and uniforms is a big blow… The school keeps telling us that they don’t have money right now and that someday we will be compensated.”

Jyoti Kukreja Sehgal, field coordinator of Joint Operation for Social Help (JOSH), an organization that works with urban poor communities in Trilokpuri and Kalyanpuri, said the wait for compensation is often as long as five-six years.

“We have come across cases where schools have made similar promises, but the child has now been in school for five years or more, and the parents have not been given any money or the amount is less than the promise. Many parents are willing to give up this EWS quota in private schools only because they know that apart from tuition fees, books and uniforms will also be paid for,” Sehgal said.

institutional hand-out

Textbooks supplied by schools are another problem. Most are dog-eared, torn and bearing old pencil and pen marks, students said. “This may make children feel embarrassed. It is an identifier in many ways. Parents have no option, so they convince their children to use them, but it is these things that sting them,” Sehgal said.

The 15-year-old girl said she faced a lot of embarrassing moments in school. “The school organizes picnics and outings… I also want to go but I can’t because sometimes the expense of outings is more than my father earns. My classmates come back with stories and friendships,” she said.

Shweta Verma, a counselor at The Heritage School in Gurugram, said the government needs to ensure that schools are equipped with strong mental health programs. “Just building infrastructure and talking about inclusivity is not enough. Schools, teachers and staff members should follow an ethos of inclusivity. Buddy systems in classrooms can be very helpful, and of course, regular sensitization workshops for teachers, parents and children.

The situation is gradually improving. Agarwal said students who graduated from private schools four or five years ago faced more difficulties in the classroom as they could be easily identified as those seeking admission through the EWS quota.

“Earlier, we had seen some cases of schools adding the letter ‘N’ in brackets in the name badges of EWS category students. But once the courts took a tough stance on schools, they had no choice but to end the practice. The nature of the complaints we receive from parents and students tells us that things are getting better,” he said.

But for some EWS students, they are not improving fast enough.

A few months ago, at the beginning of the new session, when a 13-year-old boy – an EWS quota student at a private school in East Delhi – came home, he angrily told his mother to quickly buy the books he needed. School. “I will never forget this moment. My son, who is in class 7, told me that his teacher said, ‘you guys want everything for free (You guys want everything for free)’ in front of other students. I calmed him down, and bought books,” said his 40-year-old mother, who lives in an east Delhi slum.

The six-year-old student’s grandmother agreed. She recalled how during a recent parent-teacher meeting, teachers at her private school had gathered all the parents of EWS students in one room, while parents of other students were given individual time and feedback from the teacher. Was found. “They have decided that our children will grow up to be nothing, so they don’t want to waste their time on them or on us,” he said.