Kerala's SNDP Yogam backs UCC, calls for consensus

While the ruling CPM, opposition Congress and many religious outfits in Kerala are strongly opposing the centre's moves to bring in Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a forum of the prominent Hindu-Ezhava community has stressed the need for UCC.

Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) said in the editorial of its mouthpiece Yoganadam that all religions should have a practical approach towards UCC as laws need to be changed along with time. SNDP also said that in view of the mounting concerns over UCC especially among the Muslim and Christian communities, the centre should initiate discussions with all sections and try to have a consensus among all.

Also Read | Kerala Muslim outfit raises doubts over CPM's anti-UCC stand

SNDP Yogam also flayed that the BJP government at the centre and the opposition parties were trying to make UCC a key factor in the coming Lok Sabha election campaigns. Political parties that oppose or back UCC have their own vested political interests. The religious parties should not fall into such traps and try to make a practical approach, said the editorial written by SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan.

SNDP Yogam, which follows the ideologies of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, is often considered a left-leaning outfit. But the political party initiated by SNDP Yogam, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), is a coalition partner of the BJP in Kerala. Many leaders of SNDP are part of BDJS and BDJS president Tushar Vellappally, who is the son of Vellapally Natesan, was NDA candidate against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Wayanad in the 2019 election.

The editorial further said that women were the main victims of the personal laws. UCC would help in strengthening the justice system as it would do away with gender injustice as well as reduce litigations over the existing personal laws, it added.

Natesan also cautioned that the younger generations may keep away from religion and culture if personal laws that they could not tolerate were imposed. Religious heads should also ensure that religion, which is a medicine for peace, was not made an intoxicant, he said.