Back to Home         Bhavan's Periodicals   Bhavan's Dimdima (English)   Bhavan's Journal (English)   Navneet (Hindi)   Navneet-Samarpan(Gujarati)   Samvid (Sanskrit)   Bharatiya Vidya (Sanskrit)   Astrological Journal (Eng. & Guj.)       Glimpses From The Past   The best of Bhavan's Journal 1954 - 2003. It is a small sample of the Bhavan's Journal's half century of life in print. It gives but a runaway glimpse of the past.   Read on       A Wonder Magazine   It is read by the young and the old, the rich and the poor, men, women and children. It is bought because it speaks the spiritual language and represents the collective wisdom of centuries.   Read on       Advertise With Us   We have various options for advertising in Bhavan's Journal. For more details and Rate Card.   Click Here       Contact us	Bhavan's Journal Glimpses From The Past The best of Bhavan's Journal: 1954 - 2003 Back To  List of Articles Let’s Give Them a Home Justice M. C. Chagla (Published in 1979 Annual Number) (...Contd) This is the Year of the Child and public opinion must insist that the adoption law should be put on the statute book this year. No legislative procrastination should be permitted and no fear of religious or obscurantist opposition should be allowed to deter the Government from carrying out this most essential and beneficial reform. I like to remind the Government and Muslim friends of some potent facts of which they seem to be oblivious: 1. We in this country are governed by Indian Law and not Islamic Law. The Legislatures, the Privy Council and the Supreme Court have constantly altered and amended the strict application of the Shariat. Under the Penal Code, peoples’ hands are not cut off on their conviction for theft nor are women who have committed adultery stoned to death as required by Muslim Law. The Special Marriage Act, which was recently passed, equally affects the Shariat, but a Muslim member in the debate in Parliament admitted that they had allowed it to be passed without any objection or opposition, through inadvertence! 2. We have no official Church and we are a secular country unlike Iran, Pakistan and other Muslim countries. 3. Uniform Civil Code is a directive principle under the Constitution and Muslims cannot be heard to say that they are not bound by it and that the Shariat can override that principle. 4. This is an enabling measure and no one is bound to adopt. Therefore, in effect, the Muslim opposition is coercing the minority which wants to adopt legally. The Muslim opposition may be a large majority. But even the smallest minority has its rights. It cannot be taken away by a vocal, vociferous and obscurantist majority. Here is a directive principle (Uniformness of this policy and whatever Civil Code), which we have refused to implement because although constitutionally we are a secular country, in practice our secularism is distorted by communal considerations. I presided over a public meeting in Bombay protesting against Government’s attitude over the Adoption Bill and I was happy to say, quite a large number of Muslims and particularly Muslim women joined in the protest. Such meetings should be held all over our country. Public demonstrations should be organized. Deputations should meet the Government in Delhi and everything possible should be done to see that the welfare of the child is ensured by the passing of this Law. The child constitutes the potential wealth of this country. We have immense resources. But these resources cannot produce real wealth unless the citizens of tomorrow are protected and constitute a disciplined and progressive nation. It is our solemn duty to do all we can to preserve this potential wealth and make it worthy of our country and our country’s tradition. Previous Page	Latest Issue     This issue is now available online. Read the entire magazine online TOTALLY FREE!   CLICK HERE   We add the Journal on 7th and 22nd of every month.       Subscribe To BJ   Read it. Collect it. &  Preserve it For future generations   Subscription Form       A Worthwhile Gift   Give Your Friends - Subscription to Bhavan's Journal as Special Gift.   Gift Subscription Form