Assam cracks down child marriage
Muslim Marriages and Registration Act 1935 is a 89year-old law and the cabinet made history with ‘Assam Repealing Ordinance 2024’
Uttarakhand was the first to follow ‘One Nation One Law’ now followed by this north-eastern state.
Muslim Marriages and Registration Act 1935 mentioned specifically that Muslim marriages and divorces were undertaken on a ‘voluntary’ basis. In 2010, the word ‘voluntary’ was substituted by ‘compulsory’ which made the registration of Muslim marriages and divorces completely binding.
As per the Act, any Muslim individual can get license for registration of marriages and their divorces.
The Act states Muslim registrars as public servants and specifies the application process for marriage and divorce registration with the registrar. The Act was in line with Muslim personal law.
The implementation of this order is expected bring about crucial changes. Voluntary registration of Muslim marriages will be illegal in future.
Post repealing the law, the Assam government said district commissioners and district registrars will take custody of registration record held by 94 Muslin Marriage Registrars.
The government will provide a one-time compensation of Rs.2 lakh each to Muslim Marriage Registrars for their rehabilitation after the Act is repealed.
Uniform Civil Code
What is Uniform Civil Code? It denotes uniform law on marriage, divorce, inheritance of property and live-in relationships for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.
However, tribal communities are not responsible to follow this Act.
It wasn't long ago when Uttarakhand became the first state to pass the Uniform Civil Code in the assembly bringing uniformity in laws of marriage, divorce and inheritance. Taking a cue, Assam became the third state to adopt Uniform Civil Code. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken its first step as the state cabinet has repealed the Muslim Marriage Act.
Uttarakhand was the first state in Independent India to have a Uniform Civil Code Act after President Droupadi Murmu approved the state’s UCC Bill 2024. The Bill has a complete ban on practices like halala, iddat and talaq.
Backflow for Assam CM
Assam had 14 Lok Sabha seats and Jorhat was one of the battlegrounds for Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi and CM Hemanta Biswa Sarma. Resounding victory of Gogoi had stung the state leadership.
Speculations are rife that the CM made this a prestige issue who did not campaign in Northeast India in Lok Sabha polls as he was asked by the part to concentrate on the eastern part.
The BJP leader said that the Lok Sabha defeat in the North Eastern states of Meghalaya happened due to a particular community was opposed to NDA.
The state CM remained assertive.
Editor’s Note
Assam Chief Minister had remained centred that polygamy must be abolished in the state. Taking a cue from Uttarakhand, Hemanta Biswa Sarma hailed this scrapping as landmark decision for the state.
Keywords
#hemantbiswasarma #musliammarriageact #uniformcivilcode