Interfaith Love Under Siege: The Impact of UCC in India

Context: 

On January 27, 2025, Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). While it is promoted as a step toward gender justice, uniformity, and efficiency, its broader impact raises concerns:

• Increased state control over personal relationships.
• Bureaucratic hurdles for interfaith marriages and live-in relationships.
• Stronger religious and patriarchal influence over personal choices.

When combined with anti-conversion laws, these measures curtail personal freedom, deepen social divisions, and encourage moral policing.

Challenges Faced by Interfaith Couples in India

Interfaith relationships in India face social opposition, legal restrictions, and political interference.

1. Social Barriers

• A 2014 survey of 70,000 people found that:
  • Less than 10% of urban Indians had a family member who married outside their caste.
  • Only 5% reported an interfaith marriage in their family.
• Family and community pressure discourage such unions, often leading to forced separations or violence.

2. Legal Hurdles: Special Marriage Act, 1954

• Requires a 30-day public notice, exposing couples to harassment and threats.

3. Anti-Conversion Laws

• States like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan impose strict regulations on religious conversion, including:
  • Mandatory declarations and waiting periods.
  • Approval from district magistrates.
• These laws are often misused. In Uttar Pradesh, 63 out of 101 complaints under the anti-conversion law were filed by vigilante groups, not affected individuals.

Such laws fail to protect individuals and instead encourage third-party interference in personal matters.

State Control Over Live-in Relationships

The UCC in Uttarakhand extends state control beyond marriages, targeting live-in relationships through mandatory registration.

1. Complicated Registration Process

• Couples must submit a 16-page application with identity proofs.
• Religious or community leaders must approve their relationship.
• Family members are notified, even against the couple’s wishes.

2. Criminalization of Non-Compliance

• Failure to register results in:
  • Up to six months in jail.
  • A ₹25,000 fine.

3. Disproportionate Impact on Interfaith Couples

• Many interfaith couples avoid registration due to fear of backlash.
• In Uttarakhand, only one couple has successfully registered, while others have sought legal protection from the High Court.

These measures increase state surveillance, making personal choices a legal and public matter.

Broader Implications

1. Strengthening Religious Authority in a Secular State

• Religious certification for marriage or conversion gives religious leaders more control over personal relationships.
• This contradicts India’s secular and constitutional values.

2. Limiting Women's Freedom

• Mandatory family notifications expose women to coercion and honor-based violence.
• Women in interfaith relationships are often depicted as victims, restricting their choices.

3. Encouraging Vigilantism

• Public notices allow extremist groups to track and harass interfaith couples.
• Instead of protecting individuals, these laws enable communal policing.

4. Expansion to Other States

• Rajasthan’s High Court has proposed similar live-in registration rules.
• Gujarat is drafting a UCC based on Uttarakhand’s model.
• This trend threatens India’s diverse traditions, imposing strict controls on personal relationships.

Conclusion: A Threat to Personal Freedom

The UCC in Uttarakhand, combined with anti-conversion laws, is a serious intrusion into personal choices. These laws:

• Make interfaith unions and live-in relationships difficult.
• Give religious authorities undue influence.
• Strengthen patriarchal control over women.
• Encourage moral policing and vigilantism.

If other states follow this model, India risks eroding personal freedoms, democracy, and secular values.