Assam Cabinet To Discuss Uniform Civil Code Bill Today

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will chair a key cabinet meeting today to discuss the state budget and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill.

BJP-ruled Uttarakhand has become the first state to pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill.

Assam Minister Ranjit Das said the state is "already working on framing of rules" on the UCC. "Our Chief Minister has announced that UCC would definitely come in Assam. We are already working on framing of rules and within a short period, it will come in our cabinet and after the cabinet passes it, we will introduce and get it passed by the assembly as well," he said.

Another minister said the USS is "needed for Assam".

"The state cabinet meeting will be held today, and a discussion on the UCC will take place in the meeting," said Assam Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.

The opposition, however, is opposing the implementation of the UCC in the state. "We are opposing the UCC since it affects our diversity, there are so many communities, tribes that live here, over 500 of them. UCC cannot be imposed this way," said Karim Uddin Barbhuiya.

The UCC refers to a common set of laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of religion, tribe or other local customs.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said that the draft bill for the state will be tailored to suit the "Assam model".

Tribals will be exempted from the UCC in Assam, Mr Sarma said, adding that the bill will be introduced in the state assembly this year.

"Assam will bring its own version of the UCC after Uttrakhand . I am waiting for the two states to do it. We are already fighting child marriage and polygamy. So the Assam bill will have some tweaks. There will be Assam-centric innovation in the bill. We will exempt tribals from the ambit of UCC," Mr Sarma had said.

In June last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a big push for a Uniform Civil Code and said the country couldn't run on two laws, much like it didn't work to have "different set of rules for different members of a family".