Several Muslim organisations in Mumbai on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s recent observations on the inheritance rights of Muslim women, calling it an important step towards removing gender bias.
Social activist Feroze Mithiborwala said a three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and R. Mahadevan, recently observed that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) may be the “most effective answer” to removing gender bias in laws governing marriage, succession, and property rights.
“This observation came while the Bench was examining a plea challenging the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, which the petitioners argue results in unequal inheritance outcomes for women compared to their male counterparts,” he added.
The Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) also issued a statement welcoming the top court’s observations.
“The IMSD wholeheartedly welcomes the recent observations made by the Supreme Court of India during the hearing of a petition filed by Poulomi P. Shukla. The case seeks to rectify the long-standing disparity in inheritance rights for Muslim women — a move IMSD views as a vital step towards fulfilling the democratic promise of the Indian Constitution,” the statement read. Mr. Mithiborwala said it was heartening to note the court’s observation that gender bias was a problem “beyond one particular community”.
