Aizawl: Mizoram BJP president and party MLA K Hrahmo has called for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, saying it could provide greater legal protection to Mizo women in matters related to marriage, property and abandonment.Speaking at a political session of BJP’s Mizoram unit in Aizawl on Monday, Hrahmo said people often opposed laws introduced by the Centre without fully understanding their provisions, fearing they could affect the state’s interests.He said UCC should be examined in the context of Mizoram’s tribal population and its specific circumstances. According to Hrahmo, UCC does not necessarily cover tribal communities, and states that have implemented it have also excluded tribal populations from its ambit.The BJP MLA from Tipa constituency in Siaha district said the need for UCC in Mizoram should be considered in the context of the state’s non-tribal population and cases involving marriages between non-tribal men and Mizo women. Hrahmo alleged that some non-tribal men marry more than one woman, including Mizo women, while already having other wives. He claimed that some such marriages were linked to business activities in Mizoram, with women and children allegedly being abandoned after the businesses failed.He said UCC provides for monogamy and includes provisions on the division of property in the event of divorce. He argued that such provisions could help protect Mizo women from exploitation and abandonment.Hrahmo also criticised Congress for portraying UCC as a threat to the people of Mizoram for political reasons, saying this had fuelled apprehension among people who were not fully aware of its provisions.
