The focus of the Law Commission’s deliberations on family law reforms in India will be on women’s rights and not religious rights or political debates, commission chairman Justice BS Chauhan has said in a communication addressed to all chief ministers as it seeks wider consultations on the viability of enforcing a Uniform Civil Code across the country. Commission sources said they will invite political parties and religious groups before firming up the report on uniform personal laws. Accusing the commission of trying to give the effort a majoritarian push, Karat added, “If law commission members are RSS-compliant, there is nothing more you can expect.” HT had earlier reported, of the two-part time members appointed to the commission, Satya Pal Jain is a former BJP MP and Rajkot-based lawyer Abhay Bhardwaj has RSS links. The commission’s four-page questionnaire to stake-holders, released on October 7, had sparked a controversy with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board deciding to boycott the commission’s process to gather feedback on UCC. The CPM politburo had issued a statement on Tuesday saying the effort would be counterproductive to the rights of women.

Source: Hindustan Times October 20, 2016 09:22 UTC