2 weeks ago
Rajasthan To Table Uniform Civil Code Bill, Tribal Identity Debate
There is a plan in India for something called a Uniform Civil Code — a single set of rules about marriage, divorce and inheritance for everyone.
The state of Rajasthan wants to make this law for its people.
But tribal communities in Rajasthan live by their own old traditions and customs.
So the government says the new law will not apply to them.
Many tribal leaders are happy about this, but some say the government is still being unfair.
They worry that some tribal people — those recorded as nature worshippers or Aadi Dharma followers — could still be covered by the new law.
Other tribal people, like those recorded as Hindu, would not be covered.
The tribal leaders say this creates a divide within their community.
They want their own traditions and beliefs to be protected completely.
The argument is also about politics, because tribal voters are becoming very important in elections.
Rajasthan is set to table the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the state assembly, becoming the latest BJP-ruled state to attempt changes to civil laws.
The Bhajan Lal government's decision to keep tribal communities outside the UCC's ambit has sparked debate, especially in south Rajasthan.
Udaipur Lok Sabha MP Manna Lal Rawat wrote to the chief minister in July seeking tribal exemption, but not for tribals who converted to Christianity or other religions.
The Bhartiya Adivasi Party alleges the move divides tribals by religious record and demands recognition of Aadi Dharma and preservation of ancestral systems.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BAP's Rajkumar Roat defeated BJP's Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya in Banswara by around 247,000 votes, underscoring rising tribal politics.
- Who
- The Bhajan Lal-led Rajasthan government, Lok Sabha MPs Manna Lal Rawat (Udaipur) and Rajkumar Roat (Banswara), and tribal organisations led by the Bhartiya Adivasi Party.
- What
- Rajasthan is set to table the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill, keeping tribal communities outside its ambit amid a debate over tribal identity.
- Where
- Rajasthan, especially the southern districts where tribal communities are concentrated.
- When
- The bill is set to be tabled in the state assembly; Udaipur MP Manna Lal Rawat wrote to the chief minister in July.
- Why
- To bring uniform rules for marriages, divorces, inheritance and other civil matters, while tribal groups seek to protect their customary practices and identity; electoral politics is also a factor.
Tribal organisations / Bhartiya Adivasi Party
Rajasthan government and BJP
Scope of tribal exemption
Tribal organisations / Bhartiya Adivasi Party
Tribal communities should be kept completely outside the UCC; basing exemption on official religious records divides the community, and tribals recorded as nature worshippers, ancestor worshippers or Aadi Dharma followers could still be brought under the law.
Rajasthan government and BJP
Tribals deserve exemption because they are an integral part of the larger Hindu society living largely in rural areas, and their customary practices under Article 13 of the Constitution should be considered; however, tribals who converted to other religions would not be exempt.
Tribal identity and religion
Tribal organisations / Bhartiya Adivasi Party
Tribal people do not have a religion in the conventional sense but have their own system of worship; Aadi Dharma should be recognised and ancestral systems preserved.
Rajasthan government and BJP
BJP leaders view tribals as 'Vanvasi' — part of the larger Hindu society — while acknowledging that their customary practices are very important.
Key facts
- State
- Rajasthan
- Legislation
- Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill
- Scope
- Marriages, divorces, inheritance and other civil matters
- Tribal exemption
- Tribal communities kept outside the UCC ambit
- Exemption advocate
- Manna Lal Rawat, Lok Sabha MP from Udaipur
- Opposition
- Bhartiya Adivasi Party (BAP)
- BAP seats in 2023 Assembly elections
- 3
- 2024 Lok Sabha Banswara winning margin
- Around 247,000 votes
Quotes
Manna Lal Rawat
Lok Sabha MP for Udaipur, advocate for tribal exemption from UCC
“"The reason for keeping tribal communities outside the UCC is that tribal people are an integral part of the larger Hindu society, and they also live largely in rural areas. But their customary practices are very important. Article 13 of the Constitution recognises customary practices, and this should be given due consideration in the UCC as well. There are three main issues: matters related to marriage, matters linked to divorce, matters related to inheritance, and the resolution of disputes — ”
NDTV
“"The tribal community will be kept outside the UCC, but a controversy is being created in Rajasthan. Political polarisation is taking place. Tribal people who have identified themselves as Hindu in Rajasthan's official records will be kept outside the UCC, but those who follow nature worship, worship their ancestors, and have Aadi Dharma recorded as their religion could be brought under the UCC. The tribal community is simple and innocent. We want the community to preserve its ancestral system.”
NDTV
Sources
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