Uniform Code: Ghettoes Grow; Kissing Cup

Opinion Watch          

Uniform Code

The Tribune in its Editorial has called for discussions on Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which aims for a common set of laws for marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance. The Chandigarh-based daily has said that Article 44 of the Constitution desires for the UCC, while adding that approach should be in consonance with Article 25 of the statue book that guarantees freedom of religion.

Dailies such as The Indian Express and The Asian Age have struck cautionary note on the UCC, reading political motive behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving primacy to the contentious issue two days ago. The Tribune, while stating that the Supreme Court in February this year was in agreement for the right of the states to examine the personal laws, called for reformative purposes of the UCC.

History tells that social reforms are most challenging, and some of the ambitious changes for better were gained before Independence within the Hindu community by iconic leaders. Gender and other rights cannot be hostage to self-serving heads of religion, and UCC must aim for reforms in stated civil issues to bring changes for better for all the religions.       

Ghettoes Grow

The Telegraph in its Editorial has quoted a study of Dartmouth’s College of Development Data Lab to reveal that Muslims and Scheduled Castes carry the maximum burden of discrimination, as the live mostly live in urban clusters without adequate amenities. The daily quoted findings of the study to state that 26 per cent of Muslims reside in urban settlements where 80 per cent of population is from same faith, and the same for the SCs is 17 per cent.

The Kolkata-based daily further said that schools and hospitals are least likely to be available in such settlements, adding that disadvantage in the Muslim areas is double then that of the SCs. The newspaper faulted the Modi government for failing to address the social divide, as the ruling dispensations blame the non-BJP parties for the poor lots of the Muslims and SCs.

Besides politics, economy plays a larger role in climbing the social ladder and availing better amenities, as several Muslims and SCs with gainful employments are living in high rise societies in the metropolitan cities. Ghettoes living of the Muslims is also on account of the community leaders holding on to sociological existential fear, which again can be addressed by the forces of economy than politics.

Kissing Cup

The Hindu in its Editorial hopes that the Cricket World Cup in India will hopefully revive the one day matches, which have ceded spotlight to the T20 format. The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, said the daily, will be played out in India, with opening and the concluding matches to be hosted in Ahmedabad, the new cricketing centre.

The Chennai-based daily also said that there is no reason to believe that the host nation doesn’t win ICC World Cup, as India (2011), Australia (2015), and England (2019) have already broken the jinx.

But India may be ill-prepared for the ICC World Cup, because of excessive focus of the players in the T20 matches. Yet, India beginning October will run with feverish cricket fever.    

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