Time for Uniform Civil Code says High Court

New Delhi, Nov 19: The Allahabad High Court has said that the Centre should look into implementing the mandate of Article 44 of the Constitution which says that the state shall endeveour to secure citizens a uniform civil code through the territory of India.

"The UCC is a necessity and mandatorily required today. It cannot be made 'purely voluntary' as was observed by Dr BR Ambedkar 75 years back, in view of the apprehension and fear expressed by the members of the minority community," the HC said.

Justice Suneet Kumar said that it is the need of the hour that Parliament comes up with a single family code to protect interfaith couples from being hounded as criminals. The court was hearing a batch of 17 petitions moved by inter-faith couples seeking registration of their marriages.

"The stage has reached that Parliament should intervene and examine, as to whether, the country requires multiplicity of marriage and registration laws or the parties to a marriage should be brought under the umbrella of single family code," the court said.

"Marriage is just an association of two persons, recognized by law. There is nothing 'special' about marriage to subject it under different laws for various communities, thus erecting barriers in the free intermingling of the citizens. The petitioners, herein, cannot be hounded as criminals," the HC observed.