PANAJI: The state government 's move to apply the Special Marriage Act , 1954, to Goa, which is the only state governed by the Uniform Civil Code, can have serious ramifications for all religious communities, Goans for Goa (GFG) stated.

GFG criticized the government for "quietly" applying the Special Marriage Act after notifying it in the official gazette on January 17, without any discussion at the government level, in the state assembly or in any public fora.

Under the act, which chief minister Manohar Parrikar has now enforced, registration of one's marriage is not mandatory, and this can have implications for people of all religious communities, GFG stated in a press note.

The existing law which deals with registration of births and marriages, makes registration mandatory, and is accepted as admissible proofs in the registration of births.

GFG demanded that the act be scrapped, stating further that this goes against Article 44 of the directives of principles in the Constitution, that seeks to implement the Uniform Civil code through out the country.

The NGO also opposed Parrikar's plan to relax domicile for women from outside the state, who marry Goan men. These rules would permit these women to apply for a government job with a mere two-year domicile instead of 15, putting local women at a disadvantage as they have to show a 15-year domicile to acquire a government job.

GFG also hit out at the Congress party and other independent MLAs sitting in the opposition, for not opposing the move of the government to bring in this law without discussing it on the floor of the house.

