Union Minister Kiren Rijiju Advocates Exemption for Tribals from Uniform Civil Code

Exemption for Northeastern Tribals from UCC

On Sunday, Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs, announced that indigenous communities in the Northeast and other regions of India will be excluded from the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), allowing them to live according to their customs freely.

Speaking at an event organized by the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, which is affiliated with the RSS, he clarified the central government's stance on the matter, stating that some individuals are creating a peculiar atmosphere on social media and fabricating narratives against the government.

As a central minister, I wish to convey the government's position, Rijiju remarked. Our government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are contemplating the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in accordance with the Constitution. If criminal laws are uniform for everyone, why shouldn't civil laws be the same?

He noted that several states have already initiated steps in this direction. However, he emphasized that tribals will be granted an exemption, allowing them the freedom to live as they choose. The UCC will not be applicable in Schedule 6, Schedule 5, and other tribal areas in the Northeast and across the country.

Currently, the Law Commission is deliberating on the UCC issue. Uttarakhand has already implemented the UCC within the state.

During the inauguration of the Tribal Research and Training Center at the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Bhavan, Rijiju indirectly criticized the Congress party, recalling a time when there were no significant institutions or places for lawyers in Delhi.

He pointed out that during that period, the representation of elected MPs from tribal communities in the central cabinet was also inadequate. Rijiju shared an anecdote about meeting a senior leader from undivided Madhya Pradesh, Arvind Netam, who expressed concerns about the limited number of senior ministers from Scheduled Tribes in the central government.

Rijiju praised the efforts made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for the welfare and upliftment of indigenous communities in the country.