By S Paul
Uniformity is a practice in which homogeneity is created in a system for the sake of order, for unity and for establishing a sense of identity. In military terms this lends also to cohesiveness. It is likely that in a non-military (civilian) society it may also be interpreted as lack of diversity or variation, especially to the point of boredom or monotony. But I feel that this interpretation is by those who like to abandon themselves to their personal but antisocial desires. For a nation based on the principals so punctiliously defined by our sages in our Shastras, uniformity of traditions and practices defines the exclusivity of our race and nation irrespective of our spiritual leanings. Therefore, the implementation of UCC is a great step forward to revive this exclusivity. But the UCC as brought about in this state of Uttarakhand, being a part of the Democracy of Bharat, appears to be incomplete in its scope. It specifically excludes the scheduled tribes from its ambit. The reason that we, the rest of the Bharatiye have been made to understand, is that it is to preserve their tribal traditions. Why? As adopted from the British time, the official name given to any of the Indigenous peoples or tribal communities are the disadvantaged groups and are protected by the government and offered special concessions. Indigenousness then dilutes the meaning and purpose of ‘homogeneity’. If the idea is to preserve them as a tourist attraction, then it is using them deceptively for a selfish purpose but, if it is to preserve their ethnicity, then why UCC at all? We all have been tribals once but since we have been exposed to education and universal advancement, we are now civilised citizens of this land. Such exclusive concessions to the tribes of our nation ought not to be for their preservation as such but for bringing them at par with the rest of the world and out of their poverty and backwardness. Many NGOs and individual social workers are already working among such tribes to bring them up at par with the others of our society. We are although keeping certain tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands by confining them to their preserves for the anthropological reasons, why not for the same reason then isolate these tribals, take away their voting rights and confine them also? However, justifiably, since these tribals of the main land of Bharat have voting rights they too should be subject to the UCC.
