Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Sep 22: Retired Bombay High Court judge Justice R C Chavan has resigned from the Maharashtra government's seven-member committee formed to prepare draft rules and recommendations for implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, citing differences over the committee's functioning and the process of seeking public feedback.
Chavan submitted his resignation on September 19, shortly after the committee's second online meeting. The Maharashtra government accepted his resignation on September 21. The committee is headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai and was constituted in July with a six-month mandate to prepare its recommendations.
In his resignation communication, Chavan questioned the manner in which the committee's meetings were being conducted. He said discussions were being concluded without what he considered adequate substantive deliberation.
One of the main issues discussed at the meeting was the questionnaire through which the committee plans to seek public views on the proposed UCC. Chavan said three members had suggested changes, including limiting responses to “yes or no” and having the questionnaire professionally reviewed by professors under committee member Dr Suvarna Rawal.
According to Chavan, however, Chairperson Ranjana Desai had already circulated a questionnaire that she had finalised and said it would be uploaded once the committee's website was ready. Chavan said he subsequently logged out of the meeting.
He said he had initially understood that the public consultation was intended to gather views from people across Maharashtra and build consensus on issues including late marriages, infertility, unstable marriages and delays in resolving disputes. He later said he understood the exercise differently, as an opportunity for people to respond to specific questions with “yes or no” answers.
Chavan also raised questions over the presence of a person who was not a member of the committee during the meeting. According to his account, the person had been referred to by the chairperson during an earlier meeting and was involved in discussions concerning modifications to the committee's website.
Chavan said that if the individual needed to be inducted into the committee, his resignation would create a vacancy that the government could fill.
In his resignation letter, Chavan said his experience on the panel had been a learning opportunity and wished the committee and the people of Maharashtra well. He also said that, as a private citizen, he would remain free to express his views on the UCC.
The committee was constituted by the Maharashtra government in July to examine the legal, social and administrative aspects of implementing a Uniform Civil Code and submit recommendations. Besides Desai and Chavan, the panel includes former High Court judge S G Mehare, former Maharashtra chief secretary D K Jain, former advocate general Birendra Saraf, constitutional expert Ramesh Patange and educationist Suvarna Rawal.
Chavan had also outlined his own views on what a UCC should address. In his resignation letter, he said the code should focus on preserving families while ensuring safety, security and gender equality.
He favoured gender-neutral terminology, suggesting that terms such as “spouses” and “children” be used instead of classifications such as husband-wife and son-daughter. He also said the proposed code should be “areligious” while not interfering with religious practices in private spaces.
On inheritance, Chavan proposed equal rights rather than distinctions between different classes of heirs. He also suggested that consenting adults should be able to define the terms of their intimate relationships through agreements covering matters such as separation, property, inheritance and responsibilities towards children and parents.
He supported voluntary registration of such relationships and suggested that unregistered relationships could be excluded from certain state benefits or inheritance rights. He also proposed that all children should be treated as legitimate, with biological or adoptive parents responsible for their education and support until they reach 18.
The resignation comes as the Maharashtra government prepares to move ahead with its UCC plans. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said earlier this month that the government intends to introduce the proposed UCC legislation during the winter session of the state Assembly in Nagpur, after receiving the committee's report.
The committee's process of gathering public feedback and preparing its recommendations is expected to continue following Chavan's departure.