Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would improve social security and ensure greater protection for women belonging to minority communities, while asserting that his government has fulfilled its electoral commitment to introduce the legislation in the state Assembly. Speaking during the third day of the Assam Assembly session, Sarma said the UCC would provide a uniform legal framework for men and women across communities and help improve the safety and independence of women from minority groups.

He stated that the legislation was aimed at addressing long-standing social vulnerabilities faced by women and ensuring equal legal protection. Sarma said the government had promised voters that the UCC would be implemented if it returned to power and reiterated that the bill has now been introduced in the Assembly. He added that Assam would become the third state in India, after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, to move forward with such legislation.

Addressing criticism from opposition parties, the Chief Minister said his government had challenged opponents to stop the initiative if they could, and claimed that the administration had proceeded with the legislative process as promised to the electorate. He maintained that the reform was part of a broader effort to strengthen legal uniformity and governance in the state. Sarma further said that women from minority communities had historically faced social and economic disadvantages, and argued that the UCC would help them lead more secure and independent lives.

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He described the bill as a step toward ensuring equality and consistent civil laws across communities. In his remarks, the Chief Minister also referred to earlier legislative measures, including the Cattle Preservation Act, stating that it had contributed to maintaining communal harmony in the state. He said that in recent years, there had been instances where certain community organisations chose not to use cows for religious sacrifices during Eid in respect of prevailing sentiments, which he said contributed to peace and social understanding.

Sarma added that there was no religious requirement mandating cow sacrifice and urged groups yet to take a position on the issue to consider similar restraint. He said such decisions, in his view, had helped strengthen communal harmony in Assam. The remarks come amid ongoing political debate over the Uniform Civil Code, which remains a contentious issue nationally, with differing positions across political parties and states regarding its scope, implementation, and social implications.

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