As the debates over the proposed implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) go on, the tribal communities in Chhattisgarh largely oppose the UCC.

After the Prime Minister, during his visit to Bhopal last month, advocated for the UCC, all the political parties from across the nation reacted.

In Chhattisgarh, many organisations are raising questions over this.

The Chhattisgarh Sarva Adivasi Samaj (CSAS) has started a protest against UCC and said that the central government should not be in a rush to implement a Uniform Civil Code as it could threaten the identity and traditional practices of tribals who follow customary laws.

Former Union minister and CSAS President Arvind Netam said that his organisation is not completely opposed to the Uniform Civil Code but the Centre should take everyone into confidence before going ahead to implement it.

Arvind Netam said that it would be impossible to implement in tribal communities without proper consultation.

“Tribals do not have a codified law.The tribal community is governed by its customary laws in matters of birth, divorce, partition, succession, inheritance, land and property, and this is its identity, which is different from the rest of the castes, communities and religions,” he said.

“In tribal society, women have the freedom to marry multiple times after leaving the incumbent husband and they don’t have the right to ancestral land,” Netam added.

Tribals have been given many rights under the Fifth and Sixth schedule of the Constitution and the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act.

Former MLA Champa Devi Pawla said, The tribal community has its own culture and there is a possibility of it getting affected due to the UCC. The traditions of tribals are different and they are far away from Hindu customs. The Constitution has also given separate rights to tribals.”

Retired senior police officer Radheshyam Nayak said, “UCC will be beneficial for all, some people are protesting about it and there is also confusion, the main reason for this is that its draft has not yet come out. The tribal society has its own culture and traditions, what are the provisions regarding it, all will be known only after the draft comes.”