Assam Passes New Law to Prevent Child Marriage and Abolish Qazi System
The Assam State Assembly has passed the Assam Repealing Bill, 2024, which abolishes the 89-year-old Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act and Rules of 1935. The new bill, Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, aims to prevent child marriage and eliminate the Qazi system in Muslim marriage registration.
Chief Minister’s Statement
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We want to abolish the Qazi system in the Muslim marriage registration process. Apart from it we also want to prevent Child marriage in the state.”
Opposition’s View
However, the opposition party, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has voiced its opposition to the abolition of the Qazi system. AIUDF leader Aminul Islam said, “We are against Child marriage and the government can amend some provisions in the previous act, but they didn’t and repealed the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act and Rules, 1935.” He added, “We have no other option but to take the matter to court.”
Reasons for the New Bill
The Assam Repealing Bill, 2024, aims to replace the Assam Repealing Ordinance, 2024, for the repeal of the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935, and Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Rules, 1935. The old act was a pre-independence law adopted by the British India Government for the then Province of Assam for Muslim religious and social arrangements. The new bill states that the registration of marriages and divorces was not mandatory and the machinery of registration was informal, leaving a lot of scope for noncompliance with existing norms.
Minister’s Statement
Assam Minister Jogen Mohan said in the Statement of Object and Reasons of the Repealing Bill, “There remains a scope of registering marriages of the intended person below 21 years (in case of male) and 18 years (in case of female) and hardly any monitoring made for implementation of this act throughout the state which attracts and invite the huge amount of litigation in the criminal/civil court. There is a scope of misuse by both authorized licensees (Muslim marriage Registrars) as well as by citizens for underage/minor marriages and forcefully arranged marriages without the consent of the parties.”
Doubts Revealed
Assam -: Assam is a state in the northeastern part of India. It is known for its rich culture, tea gardens, and the Brahmaputra River.
Child Marriage -: Child marriage is when children, usually under the age of 18, are married. It is illegal in many places because it can harm the health and future of the children.
Qazi System -: The Qazi system involves religious leaders called Qazis who oversee and register Muslim marriages and divorces. The new law aims to change this system.
Assam State Assembly -: The Assam State Assembly is a group of elected representatives who make laws for the state of Assam.
Assam Repealing Bill, 2024 -: This is a new law that cancels an old law from 1935 about Muslim marriages and divorces in Assam.
Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act and Rules of 1935 -: This was an old law that set rules for registering Muslim marriages and divorces in Assam. It is now being replaced.
Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024 -: This is a new law that requires all Muslim marriages and divorces in Assam to be officially registered to prevent child marriages.
Himanta Biswa Sarma -: Himanta Biswa Sarma is the Chief Minister of Assam, which means he is the head of the state government.
AIUDF -: AIUDF stands for All India United Democratic Front, a political party in Assam that opposes the new law and plans to challenge it in court.