<\/p>\n
An Indian state on Wednesday passed a common civil code to replace religious laws, with supporters saying it protected women\u2019s rights but critics fearing it heralds a countrywide rollout by the Hindu nationalist ruling party.<\/p>\n
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law, passed in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, has reignited a polarising debate weeks before expected national elections.<\/p>\n
Supporters say it gives Muslim women the same rights as others by ending polygamy, setting equal property inheritance rights for sons and daughters, and requiring divorce processes take place before a civil court.<\/p>\n
It also fixes the minimum age of marriage at 18 for women and 21 for men, and makes it mandatory to register live-in heterosexual relationships \u2014 or face a three-month jail term or a fine.<\/p>\n
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, speaking before the bill was approved, said it would end \u201cill practices\u201d and \u201cprovide equal rights to all\u201d.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long campaigned for standardised civil laws but that has fuelled tensions, especially among minority Muslims.<\/p>\n
The move comes weeks after Modi\u2019s consecration of a grand temple<\/a> in Ayodhya at the site where a Mughal-era Babri mosque was demolished<\/a> by Hindu zealots.<\/p>\n Critics see it as a signal from the ruling BJP to its base and a promise to implement the UCC nationally after elections expected in April that it is already tipped to win.<\/p>\n \u201cHistory is being created,\u201d added Dhami, leader of a state with some 12 million people, roughly 80 per cent of them Hindu. \u201cIt will present an example for other states.\u201d<\/p>\n India\u2019s 1.4 billion people are subject to a common criminal code, introduced under British colonial rule.<\/p>\n But they have never followed uniform laws for personal matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance, which are governed instead by a patchwork of varied codes.<\/p>\n Muslim leaders say the UCC challenges Islamic laws on divorce, marriage and inheritance.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot accept any law that is against Shariah,\u201d said Arshad Madani, from the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a Muslim social organisation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want our marriage system to be governed by the Holy Quran,\u201d said Asma Zohra, who heads the All India Muslim Women Association.<\/p>\n \u201cThe issue of child marriage can be handled through societal reform, not by imposing a law without consulting us.\u201d<\/p>\n Other clauses also sparked objections, including the registration of partners living together.<\/p>\nBans polygamy, child marriage<\/h2>\n