Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, on August 15, reiterated his call for a uniform civil code in the country. Implementing the uniform civil code is the last of the three core agendas of the BJP after having abrogated Article 370 on Jammu and Kashmir and rebuilding the Ram Temple in Ayodhya during the party’s two previous stints in power. Under the circumstances, such renewal of the call for uniform civil code was to be expected.
However, this time there was a difference with the prime minister reframing the idea as a “secular civil code” enshrined in the Constitution and a way of ensuring equality before law for all. He said that the civil code that exists in the country is actually a communal civil code which needs to be replaced with a secular civil code to free the country of discrimination on the basis of religion.
In yet another adjustment, the prime minister also advocated for a wide consultation among various sections of people to arrive at a consensus on the issue. This change of heart has been brought about by the compulsion of the present coalition governance at the Centre. The BJP’s key allies in the government, the JD(U) and Telegu Desam, are not enthusiastic about implementation of the uniform civil code, and certainly not without consultation among all. Modi would have had this in his mind when he spoke; he would also know getting the code through will not be easy.