Address without destination: Muslim groups hunt for Maharashtra UCC panel's office

A delegation of five Muslim organisations reached Mumbai's Old Custom House seeking a 100-day extension of the November 15 UCC feedback deadline. But their attempt to locate the committee chairperson's office turned into a 90-minute hunt, with no clear directions from officials.

In Short

• Delegation of Muslim organisations could not find UCC committee chairperson's office at Old Custom House
• They sought a 100-day extension for public objections to the proposed Uniform Civil Code
• Confusion over office location raises concerns about government’s readiness for public consultation

They had an address, knew the floor and had a specific purpose for their visit. But what a delegation of Muslim organisations could not find at Mumbai's Old Custom House was the office of the chairperson of Maharashtra's committee on the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

For nearly 90 minutes, representatives of five Muslim organisations searched various departments at the government building, seeking directions to the office of the retired judge heading the committee. Their search, they said, ended without a clear answer.

The delegation, comprising representatives of the All India Sunni Jamat-e-Ulema, Raza Academy, Jamat-e-Ulema Ahle Sunnat, Wahdat-e-Islami Hind and Kul Jamati Wifaq Maharashtra, had travelled to Old Custom House to submit a demand for extending the deadline for public objections and suggestions on the proposed UCC by another 100 days.

The deadline for submitting feedback is November 15.

The delegation included Maulana Aijaz Kashmiri, Anjum Ali Bape Sahab, Maulana Azmat Ali Sahab and Ilyas Momin, among others.

According to Maulana Aijaz Kashmiri, the government had listed the committee chairperson's office address as Old Custom House, second floor. However, the delegation found that the address alone was not enough to locate the office.

After approaching several departments and enquiring with officials for around one and a half hours, the members were still unable to get clear directions and could not find even one official who could tell them where the chairperson was seated, he said.

He questioned how citizens were expected to participate in a consultation process on a law of such significance when basic information about where to submit their views was not readily available.

The delegation argued that the confusion over the office's location raised concerns about the government's preparedness to receive public feedback.

Kashmiri also said the November 15 deadline should be extended by 100 days to give more people and communities adequate time to study the proposed law and submit their objections.

He urged the Maharashtra government and its officials to address the administrative confusion and make the process more accessible to the public.

Ilyas Momin, representing Kul Jamati Wifaq Maharashtra, provided further details of the delegation's search, saying the members had also approached the administrative office at Old Custom House but failed to get a clear answer.

Momin said they reached Room No 107, where Tehsildar Dr Mansi Sneha Subhash Marlewar is seated, to enquire about the committee chairperson's office. The delegation spoke to officials present there, but could not obtain the information it was seeking, he said.

He identified Dhairyashil Suvarna Kedari Jadhav, an Assistant Revenue Officer, as the official concerned with the matter. According to Momin, the delegation waited for around half an hour but was still unable to establish where the chairperson's office was located.

The confusion, Momin said, was not limited to those who had visited the building in person. He also flagged difficulties faced by people trying to send their objections and documents through registered post.

During their enquiries, the delegation learnt that postal department employees had also been moving between different offices at Old Custom House to find out where registered letters and postal orders related to the UCC consultation were supposed to be delivered.

They, too, had reportedly not received clear information about which office was authorised to receive the submissions.

Momin questioned how ordinary citizens, particularly those living outside Mumbai, would be able to participate in the consultation if there was no clarity on where their objections should be sent or submitted.

- Ends