The Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) has opposed the proposed implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying that the strength and unity of India lies in diversity and not forced uniformity.

Addressing reporters after a daylong consultative seminar on various pressing issues on the topic “Reading the signs of the times” in Kohima, Bishop of Kohima Diocese, Most Rev James Thoppil on Saturday said UCC interferes with the personal lives of people besides the tribes and religious aspects of an individual.

“The moral practices of human rights should be respected… Cultural diversity must be enhanced and encouraged so that people do not become robots in uniformity but rather diversity defines the strength and unity of the nation.

“Diversity of languages and religion is the strength of the country and it has to be enhanced and not destroyed by UCC,” he said.

On the stand of the catholic churches in Nagaland on UCC, CAN president Johnny Ruangmei described UCC as “alien” and said: “We cannot be ruled by one law as different people from various tribes and religions live together throughout the country.”

Diversity should be used to enhance our unity, he added.

Maintaining that CAN believes that there is a difference between “united” and “uniform”, he said the diversity of the country should be united but uniformity should not be brought in to disturb that unity in diversity.

Ruangmei said that during the seminar, the catholic churches also deliberated on the policies of the state government, including the Registration of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), decades-old Naga political issue and Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India.

He said the discussions were done so that both the central and state governments are able to discern the best policies to benefit the people.

He also informed that CAN will soon submit the outcome of the seminar to the government for further consideration.

Adviser and former president of CAN, Elias T. Lotha, said the daylong seminar also expressed concern about the continuing turmoil in Manipur and stressed the need for the central government to restore peace in the state.