Human and tribal rights outfits have decided to stage a protest against the Uniform Civil Code at the district collectorate in Chaibasa, the headquarters of mineral-rich West Singhbhum district, on Thursday.

At a meeting held in Chaibasa Circuit House on Tuesday on whether the UCC is beneficial for tribals or not, the convener of the Jharkhandis’ Organisation for Human Rights (Johar), Ghanshyam Gagrai, blamed the Union government for creating confusion by trying to bring in the UCC.

“India is a democratic nation and there is unity in diversity. But the Centre is trying to create confusion among residents by trying to bring the UCC and has ignored the draft passed by the 21st Law Commission. It wants to implement the UCC based on Article 44 of the Constitution but has failed to implement properly Article 45 (free education for all children below 14 years) and Article 46 (promoting with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker section, in particular SCs and STs and protecting them from social injustices and exploitation),” Gagrai said.

Chaibasa-based human rights activist Ramesh Jerai said social, political and economic damage will be caused to the tribal society if the UCC is implemented.

“Therefore, all organisations should oppose the UCC brought by the 22nd Law Commission. We will stage a protest before the district collectorate (which hosts offices of all senior administrative officials) at Chaibasa on July 13,” he said.

The members of the rights outfits have also decided to register their opposition to the UCC through emails to the Law Commission.

The 22nd Law Commission of India on June 14 sought fresh suggestions from stakeholders, including public and religious organisations, on the UCC within 30 days of the issuance of the notice.

Several religious minorities have already registered their protest over apprehensions that the UCC would dilute their respective personal laws.

An official of an NGO working for the education and rights of minorities in Jharkhand had last month sent an email to the Law Commission of India, requesting it to set aside the UCC in the “national interest”.

Tribal bodies in Jharkhand and other parts of India have also come out in the open against the UCC.

“Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is a direct attack on the tribal customs and tradition. There is no way tribal societies in Jharkhand will accept the erasure of their customary laws and practices, which have already been recognised and codified through centuries of struggle by our people,” firebrand tribal rights activist Dayamani Barla said.

Even though BJP MP and chairman of the parliamentary panel on law Sushil Modi has vowed to keep tribals out of the UCC, no draft for it exists yet.

“The UCC will dilute the provisions of the Fifth and Sixth Schedules of the Constitution,” said Ratan Tirkey, a tribal intellectual and former member of Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) Jharkhand.

The Fifth Schedule deals with the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in these areas in tribal states, including Jharkhand.