In a notable development, Justice RC Chavan, a former judge of the Bombay High Court, has stepped down from the Maharashtra Uniform Civil Code (UCC) drafting committee. His resignation highlights significant issues regarding the panel’s operations, the hurried creation of a public feedback questionnaire, and the involvement of an unofficial non-member.
Committee Dynamics and Resignation
The committee, which consists of seven members and is led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, recently conducted its second meeting online. Justice Chavan, in a forthright resignation email directed to the Chairperson, committee members, and the Principal Secretary (Law and Judiciary), expressed his concerns about the bypassing of essential decision-making protocols.
Justice Chavan noted that during this virtual meeting, three members, including himself, proposed that the questionnaire be reviewed by academic professionals. However, these suggestions were disregarded as the chairperson had already finalized the document.
Concerns Over Public Engagement
The former judge expressed his dissatisfaction with the diminished opportunity for public engagement. He emphasized that the committee’s goal appeared to have shifted from gathering comprehensive public opinions to simply collecting ‘yes or no’ responses, which would simplify data analysis.
“My attempt to present my views was based on my understanding that our goal was to gather the perspectives of Maharashtra’s people and create a consensus on issues like late marriages, perversions, infertility, unstable marriages, and lengthy dispute resolution processes,” Justice Chavan remarked.
External Influences and Resignation
Justice Chavan also raised concerns about the influence of Shatrughna Singh, a former IAS officer, on the committee’s website modifications. He speculated whether this reliance on an external individual was due to apprehensions among state officials about their own capabilities.
In concluding his resignation, Justice Chavan stated, “To address this issue, I am vacating my position on the committee by resigning now, enabling the government to fill the vacancy promptly. A swift resolution will allow me to inform those who approach me with the expectation that I will present their views to the committee that they must do so themselves. This will also free me from the obligation to avoid interactions. As a free citizen, I will now be at liberty to share my views.”
The Maharashtra government has since accepted his resignation.
