Golwalkar had reservations on UCC, called for ‘unity in diversity’

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has been a contentious issue for several decades, with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), its ideological parent, not always including it in their election manifestos. Second RSS sarsanghchalak MS Golwalkar, however, expressed reservations in 1972, advocating for "unity in diversity" instead.

In an interview published in the RSS-linked weekly Organiser in August 1972, Golwalkar stated that India has always encouraged diversity, yet remained a strong and unified nation for centuries. He argued that amiability, not uniformity, is needed for unity. Golwalkar's softer stance on polygamy among Muslims also contrasted with the party's later hardline approach, which emerged after the Shah Bano case in the mid-1980s, coinciding with the BJP's push for political gains.

The BJP's opposition to the Hindu Code Bill in the 1950s and its subsequent disappearance from manifestos is a reflection of this evolving stance. The UCC remains a core demand for the BJP, with Narendra Modi promising to enact it in all NDA-ruled states by 2029, despite the ongoing diversity in India's customs and traditions.