On Thursday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made a bold announcement asserting that the state will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) this month. He shared the announcement while addressing the 29th Uttarayani Mela.
Dhami, who was speaking in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, stressed the importance of the UCC. He also invoked Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the head of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution, for laying the foundation for a uniform civil code.
At the event, CM Dhami said, “When Baba Sahab Bhim Rao Ambedkar introduced the Article 44, he then made a provision that a uniform civil code is implemented in both the states and the countries.”
Earlier, CM Dhami flagged off the Uttarakhand contingent for the National Youth Festival-2025 from his Dehradun’s office.
On Thursday, a team representing the state departed for New Delhi to participate in the prestigious Yuva Mahotsav.
In the meantime, CM Dhami declared that Uttarakhand’s winter pilgrimage initiative has been extended to a year-round event.
CM Dhami tweeted, “Under the guidance of the respected Prime Minister @narendramodi ji, our double engine government has started the winter pilgrimage. Now the pilgrimage in Uttarakhand is being conducted for the entire 12 months instead of 6 months.”
The decision aims to cater a broader strategy to boost the state’s appeal for tourism and promote spiritual travelling throughout the year. The initiative was earlier limited only for the colder months but now it will allow devotees to visit the Char Dham temples in all seasons.
Uniform Civil Code
Envisioned in the Directive Principles of the State Policy, under Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, advocates for doing away with communal laws in succession, inheritance, marriageable age among other civil matters. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 11th Independence Day speech, had strongly batted for Uniform Civil Code. Slamming Communal forces who stand against UCC, PM Modi had categorically noted that UCC was not communal, adding that Secular Civil Code was the need of the Hour.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is at helm at the centre and in majority of the Indian states with its alliance partners, have advocated that it will bring the UCC in a phased wise and state wise manner, rather than choosing a one size fit all approach and taking into consideration the feedbacks from the implementation of UCC in other states.
