PM Modi doubles down: Time for ‘secular civil code’, one poll – Times of India

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that there will be no let-up in his govt’s core agenda despite fewer seats in Lok Sabha and flagged the intent to move towards a “secular civil code” to replace a “communal civil code”, hold simultaneous elections and stick to the reform agenda, without diluting the “war against corruption” which he said he has waged at “considerable personal cost”.
Modi’s 11th Independence-Day address from the Red Fort, was also his longest, running into 98 minutes.
Invoking the Supreme Court’s judgments and the exhortations to bring in the UCC desired by the framers of the Constitution, Modi said, “Numerous orders have been issued, reflecting the belief of a significant portion of our population — and rightly so — that the current Civil Code resembles a Communal Civil Code, one that is discriminatory. As we celebrate 75 years of the Constitution, we must hold extensive discussions on this subject as SC advocates for this change… Laws that divide our nation based on religion and foster discrimination have no place in modern society.”
This was arguably the first-ever advocacy for the UCC from the Red Fort and appeared more significant because of BJP’s dependence on allies like TDP and JD(U) who had earlier diverged with the saffron party on its core agenda. Framing the current scheme of minority communities being allowed to have their personal laws as a communal one, the PM showed his intent to take on the opposition despited reduced numbers.
The PM also used his 11th I-Day address — a feat managed only by the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru so far — to attack the opposition on a range of issues, from safety of women, a reference to the rape in West Bengal, to dynastic politics and efforts to create “anarchy”. He also sent a strong message to Bangladesh over ensuring the safety of Hindus.
Modi, sporting his now trademark I-Day turban, sought to stick to the overall theme of building a developed nation and vowed to “triple the effort” in his third term and work “24×7” for achieving the ambition by 2047.
He did not announce new schemes. Instead, the speech was laced with instances showcasing his govt’s achievements over the last 10 years – from cleaning up bank balance sheets to electricity in every village, building modern infrastructure and steps towards ease of living – while arguing that the results of the changes, including faster economic growth and doubling of per capita income, confirmed that the moves were “in the right direction”.
Although the central message was that the govt was “here to serve each one of you, every family and every region” through 100% saturation of schemes, the PM repeatedly referred to the focus on Dalits, tribals, women, youth and farmers — constituencies that the opposition is targeting to corner a greater share of the voting pie.
But marking a departure from his and his predecessor’s Independence Day speeches, Modi sought to address BJP’s core constituency on UCC, amid expectations that the party would put it on the backburner due to post-election coalition compulsions.
With BJP-governed Uttarakhand having already enacted UCC and other states too moving in that direction, Modi’s comments could be a pointer to a central law or a model legislation, which will have to be tactfully manoeuvred.
Similarly, he flagged another priority of ‘One Nation One Election’, arguing that frequent polls were creating obstacles to progress, again something which defied the popular assumption that a reduced tally would force him to put on hold a few of his favourite ideas which have been opposed by others.

Advocating another electoral change, while slamming dynastic politics and casteism, Modi suggested that one lakh young persons without any political links should join parties. “Initially, we want to bring forward one lakh young people whose families have no political background — those whose parents, siblings, uncles, aunts have never been involved in politics, in any generation. We want fresh blood, one lakh such talented young people, whether they come into the panchayat, municipal corporations, district councils, state assemblies, or Lok Sabha.”
Without referring to the opposition, he said that there was a section that did not appreciate the changes that the country was undergoing and cautioned that they could stall progress.
“There are those who cannot think beyond their own welfare and do not care about the well-being of others. Such individuals, with their distorted mindset, are a concern. The country must avoid these people, who are mired in despair. When a handful of such individuals, consumed by their own negativity, spread this kind of toxicity, it leads to anarchy, destruction, chaos, and severe setbacks that necessitate immense efforts to rectify. These pessimistic elements are not merely hopeless; they are nurturing a negative mindset that dreams of destruction and seeks to undermine our collective progress.”