Shillong, June 29: National People’s Party (NPP) Chief and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma expressed his opposition to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), stating that it goes against the essence of India’s diversity. He stressed that India’s strength lies in its diverse cultural fabric.
While acknowledging that the specifics of the UCC bill are yet to be seen, Sangma highlighted the importance of preserving the unique cultural practices and traditions of the region. He cited the example of Meghalaya’s matrilineal society, which has been an integral part of its culture and identity. Sangma asserted that any changes brought about by the implementation of the UCC would undermine the region’s distinct cultural heritage.
“Without seeing the actual content of a draft if it comes out, it’ll be difficult to go into details, but as I said, from a basic concept point of view, we are a matrilineal society, for example, and that is what our strength has been and that is what our culture is,” he told reporters on Friday.
Sangma emphasized that the entire Northeast region has its own distinct culture and societal norms, which should be respected and preserved. He also expressed that NPP will fight to protect the region’s cultural identity, stating that they do not want it to be compromised.
“Now that will be changed for us, definitely, that’s something that as a political party, we realize. That the entire Northeast, for a matter of fact, has got a unique culture and unique ways of our society and hence, we would want that to remain and we will not want that to be touched,” he stressed.
The Chief Minister further acknowledged the need to assess the actual language and content of the UCC bill if it is introduced. However, he maintained that the concept itself contradicts the idea of India as a diverse nation, where diversity is celebrated as a source of strength.
He assured that the National People’s Party (NPP) remains committed to safeguarding the distinct cultural heritage of the region and will closely monitor the developments related to the Uniform Civil Code.
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