Nagaland requests Law Commission to exempt it from purview of Uniform Civil Code

The Nagaland government has requested the Law Commission to exempt the state from the purview of Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Nagaland Minister for Power & Parliamentary Affairs K G Kenye said that the state government has officially made the submission to the 22nd Law Commission during the recent visit of a ministerial team led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to Delhi.

Kenye said that the team met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The home minister has assured that the Centre is considering exempting Christians and some tribal states from the purview of UCC.

“Our people have not accepted the proposed imposition of UCC and are against even with the idea of such enactment of it and there have been resentments from all quarters with tribal bodies and civil society organisations openly declaring not to accept the imposition of UCC,” he said.

Kenye said that Nagaland is protected under Article 371(A) in the Constitution of India, which protects the religious or social practices of the Nagas; customary law and procedures; administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary laws; and ownership and transfer of land and its resources.

He said, “We strongly feel that such an approach is a direct threat to the practices of our customary laws, social practices and the religious practices governing every individual in our society.”