Qazi Can't Register Marriage In Assam Any More As State Passes Muslim Marriage Bill In Step Towards UCC

Assam Muslim Marriage Bill: The Assam Assembly passed a bill to eliminate child marriage in the Muslim community, aligning with the goals of a Uniform Civil Code.

Assam Muslim Marriage Registration Bill: In a step towards a Uniform Civil Code, the Assam Assembly today passed a Bill that seeks to do away with child marriage in the Muslim community. Soon after the Bill was passed, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Our government has only one objective: whether a daughter is Muslim or Hindu, she should not face injustice. I request the people of Assam to support us and confine this practice to the pages of history. This practice has no place in a modern Assam."

Dubbing August 28 'historic', CM Himanta said: "The Assam Assembly has passed the Muslim Marriage Registration Bill, 2024. After the implementation of the new law, registration of marriage with a minor will be considered a legal offence. Apart from this, the registration of Muslim marriages will be done by the government and not the Qazi."

CM Himanta said the Act will ensure that no one can contravene the legal age of marriage, which is 18 years for women and 21 for men. "It will also act as a strict deterrent against teenage pregnancy and improve the overall growth of our girls. I thank all the legislators who pledged their support to this Bill and the government's vision of preventing child marriage. This Bill is above party politics and is a means to give our girls a life of dignity," he said.

He also said that the next target for the Assam government is banning polygamy in the state.

The bill was tabled on August 22 by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan. It abolished the Assam Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935. The colonial-era law allowed the marriage of minors under specific circumstances. CM Himanta said: "The thought process of an independent nation must be distinct from that of a colonial entity."

CM Himanta said that Jammu and Kashmir has the highest Muslim population and even there, marriage is done by the state government and not the Qazi. Responding to the Opposition's apprehensions of Muslims being harassed at the sub-registrar's office, Himanta said that he was open to introducing the position of a special sub-registrar to register only Muslim marriages. "I shall ensure that child marriage will be extinct in Assam by 2026," he said.