Shillong, Sept. 16: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma stated on Tuesday that the Centre’s clarification allowing for state-specific implementations of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has fundamentally shifted the dynamics of the ongoing debate.
While recalling his previous staunch opposition to a nationwide UCC—having called the concept “unlikely” and “unacceptable” for India—Sangma noted that the Union Home Minister’s recent assurances offer a new perspective.
“If you look at a UCC for Meghalaya, it will be a tribal UCC, and the system will be rooted in a matrilineal society,” Sangma explained.
“I had previously said that if Parliament brings a national bill mandating a matrilineal system everywhere, we would be the happiest people to accept it. Therefore, without seeing the content of any bill, it is wrong to presume and jump to conclusions.”
However, the Chief Minister stressed that any decision regarding a state-level UCC would only proceed after extensive public consultation. The state government plans to engage with stakeholders, political parties, and various communities to determine if such a law is desired and what framework it would require.
Acknowledging the state’s demographic complexity, Sangma noted that universally imposing a matrilineal system could unsettle Meghalaya’s non-tribal communities, making thorough deliberation essential.
“There is no harm in discussing and taking views from the people,” Sangma concluded. “Whatever we do, it will be in the larger interest,” he said.
