Assam’s New Bill on Muslim Marriages and Divorces Sparks Debate
The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is set to introduce a significant bill in the upcoming state assembly session starting from August 22. This bill will make it compulsory for the government to register marriages and divorces among the Muslim community in the state.
Opposition’s Stance
The opposition has expressed support for amending the child marriage provisions but strongly opposes government involvement in marriage and divorce registration. AIUDF MLA Mazibur Rahman stated, “We support the amendment of the bill but if they want to repeal the bill, we will protest and fight against this. We want to rectify the provision of child marriage in the bill… Himanta Biswa Sarma wants to repeal this act because he wants to play the card of communalism… We have no problem with registering our marriages and divorce but we will also follow the rules of Muslim law.”
Congress leader Wazed Ali Choudhury added, “Magistrate will never be able to take over the job of a Qazi… We will oppose the bill… We won’t say anything about not amending child marriage provisions in the act, because even we do not want child marriage. Repealing this act will be against ‘Shariat’.”
Congress MLA Nurul Huda also commented, “Muslim marriage will happen as per Quran and Hadis. It cannot happen in court… The govt has no right to meddle with religion. This is an attempt to go against a particular community. We will not accept it. We will oppose it.”
Government’s Perspective
The decision to amend the bill was taken during a state cabinet meeting held at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said, “Earlier, the Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration was conducted by the Kazis. This new bill will ensure that Muslim marriage registration will be conducted by the government, not Kazi. There will be no marriage registration below 18 years. The registration authority will be the Sub Registrar of Assam government.”
He further explained that the main aim of the new bill is to fight against child marriage.
Additional Provisions
The Chief Minister also mentioned that a 5-km radius area around heritage structures like Mandirs or Namghars, which are at least 250 years old, will be declared as protected areas. This means that land in these areas can only be transacted between families who have resided there for three generations or more. In the case of Majuli, it will cover the entire district.
Doubts Revealed
Assam -: Assam is a state in the northeastern part of India, known for its tea plantations and rich cultural heritage.
Bill -: A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law that is presented for debate before being approved by the government.
Muslim Marriages and Divorces -: These are marriages and divorces that follow Islamic traditions and laws, which are different from those of other religions.
Chief Minister -: The Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state, similar to a principal in a school but for the whole state.
Himanta Biswa Sarma -: Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current Chief Minister of Assam, responsible for making important decisions for the state.
Government Registration -: This means officially recording marriages and divorces with the government, like how you register your name in school.
Opposition -: The opposition is a group of people or political parties that do not agree with the current government and offer different ideas.
Child Marriage -: Child marriage is when children, usually under 18, are married off, which is illegal and harmful.
State Assembly -: The state assembly is a group of elected representatives who make laws and decisions for the state, like a big classroom where important discussions happen.
