Politics of the Uniform Civil Code in India

The debate on the Uniform Civil Code in India has passed through three phases which have been grounded in different normative concerns, that is, national consolidation, equality of laws, and now gender justice. Since the normative goals of a polity and political contingency are in a perpetual struggle in India, the time is appropriate for us to visit the ucc debate with a view to strengthening our constitutional democracy. This article after presenting an overview of the debate suggests that there are mainly two paths to follow to meet this aspiration: (i) changing the ecology of laws relating to women, and (ii) adopting the common civil code that is prevalent in Goa.