THE CODE IN UNIFORM
India Today|February 19, 2024
With just weeks to go bef­ore the general election is announced, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami believes he has handed Prime Minis­ter Narendra Modi and the party, the BJP, a political plank to push further the pro-­Hindutva narrative.
Anilesh S. Mahajan
THE CODE IN UNIFORM

Amid the sound of thumping on tables and chants of Jai Shri Ram and Vande Mataram, the state assembly passed a bill on a draft uniform civil code (UCC), paving the way for common civ­ il laws for all religions to govern issues like marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. This is perceived as the BJP’s first step to get uniformity in civil laws nationally, and it’s likely that other party­ruled states will follow suit.

Civil laws on matters like marriages, divorce, adoption and inheritance are entries in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, allowing the states and Centre both to frame laws. Only in case of disputes will the Centre’s law prevail. With minor tweaks to the Uttarakhand template, BJP­ruled Gujarat and As­ sam are also likely to pass similar laws before the code of conduct—expected by mid­March—kicks in. The Uttarakhand act, the first­ever iteration of the UCC, saw extensive discussions, anchored by a panel led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai. It drafted a four­volume, 749­page report containing several recommendations. While the Centre is still awaiting the Law Commission’s report on a UCC for the country, the new law gives it enough to keep the issue on the boil nationally. The UCC also adds more sizzle to the Hindutva plank in the run-up to the general election, coming as it does in the wake of headline events such as the Ram temple consecration, the opening of a rear cellar in the Gyanvapi mosque for Hindu worship, abrogation of Article 370 and the continuing debate on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

UTTARAKHAND UCC DECODED

Denne historien er fra February 19, 2024-utgaven av India Today.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra February 19, 2024-utgaven av India Today.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA INDIA TODAYSe alt
He gave the beat to the world
India Today

He gave the beat to the world

He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai

time-read
3 mins  |
December 30, 2024
KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE
India Today

KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE

All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations

time-read
3 mins  |
December 30, 2024
SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL
India Today

SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL

Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today

time-read
2 mins  |
December 30, 2024
RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA
India Today

RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA

Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone

time-read
2 mins  |
December 30, 2024
CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS
India Today

CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS

ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi

time-read
2 mins  |
December 30, 2024
INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE
India Today

INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE

Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun

time-read
2 mins  |
December 30, 2024
INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST
India Today

INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST

The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts

time-read
2 mins  |
December 30, 2024
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL
India Today

FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL

The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products

time-read
2 mins  |
December 30, 2024
THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI
India Today

THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI

For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born

time-read
4 mins  |
December 30, 2024
SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC
India Today

SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC

India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues

time-read
3 mins  |
December 30, 2024