There is no equivalent in other parts of India. The British had no guts to impose a common single civil code for all religions and communities, thus we have separate personal laws for the Hindus, Muslims, Catholics and other minorities.
Some of the unique features of the Portuguese code:
Inventario (Succession Deed): Is compulsory in case of existence of minors, and to safeguard their rights an elaborate arrangement is made by appointing a special prosecutor (Curador dos Orphaos) and a family Council (Conselho da familia), to ensure that the adult heirs do not conspire to defraud the minors.
Licitacao: Auction among the family members where third parties cannot participate, so that indivisible house properties remain in the family heirloom.
3. Quota disponivel: Parents cannot disinherit their children though they may not be in good terms with them. Each parent can donate (gift) their half share (quota disponivel) to their favourite child (or more children) but the other half share is compulsorily distributed equally among the other children by virtue of the code. Ultra right wing fanatics and vigilantes have a perception that anything with the word Portuguese is anathema and should be dismantled brick by brick. While Archaic British legislation which has outlived its purpose, it still lingers as monumental legacy of the Raj.
The million dollar question: Why is the code being replaced without proper debate and in a tearing hurry at the fag end of the term or is it pushed at the behest of the builders lobby and the land grab mafia? Will this cut and paste legislation serve its purpose or are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater, as was the case with the declassification of the coconut tree, only to be brought back in a different avatar after a public outcry.
