Assam To Table Bill To Ban Polygamy in State, Says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Assam government will table a bill introduce a bill to ban polygamy in the state. The bill will be introduced in the monsoon or winter session of the assembly.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government will soon introduce a bill to ban polygamy in the state. The bill is likely to be tabled in the Assam Assembly in the monsoon session, the CM said on Thursday. "If for some reason we are not able to table the bill in the monsoon session, we shall introduce it in the January (winter) session," CM Sarma said.

Asserting that the anti-polygamy bill is only "one segment of the Uniform Civil Code", CM Sarma said: "UCC is a matter that will be decided by Parliament. States can also take a call on the same with the assent of the President... This (anti-polygamy bill) is only one segment of the UCC. We want to ban polygamy in Assam immediately."

He said that UCC involves various various issues that are being looked into by the law commission and the parliamentary committee. CM Sarma's announcement came after the Assam government in May constituted a panel to examine the legality of a legislative action to ban the practice of polygamy. The four-member panel was led by retired Gauhati High Court judge Justice Rumi Phukan. The other members were Assam Advocate General Debajit Saikia, Assam Additional Advocate General Nalin Kohli, and Gauhati High Court advocate Nekibur Zaman.

Earlier on Tuesday, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that polygamy should be stopped for the upliftment of Muslim women. He also said the UCC would immensely benefit women as it would mean equal property rights for them. This would empower them and bring them on a par with men, CM Sarma said.

Polygamy Law In India

Polygamy, the practice of having multiple spouses, is largely not legal in India. The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, which governs Hindu marriages, explicitly prohibits polygamy. Similarly, the Indian Penal Code criminalizes bigamy, or marrying someone while still being married to someone else. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and certain other sects and communities are covered under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. Polygamy is punishable under sections 494 and 495 of the Indian Penal Code.

However, there are some exceptions where polygamy is allowed under personal laws for specific religious communities. Under Islamic law, Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives, as long as they can provide for all of them equally.