NB Viewpoint | Assam Cabinet repeals 'Assam Muslim Marriages Act'; AIUDF leaders claim attempt to target Muslims

Guwahati, Feb 24: In a step towards prohibiting child marriage in the state, Assam Cabinet on Friday (Feb 24) repealed the 'Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935'. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X and said that this move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam.

"On February 23, the Assam cabinet made a significant decision to repeal the age-old Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act. This act contained provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21, as required by law. This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam" - Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Chief Minister

The state government mentioned after repealing the law, "District Commissioners and District Registrars will be authorized to take custody of registration records currently in the custody of 94 Muslim Marriage Registrars on repeal of the legislation under overall supervision, guidance and control of the Inspector General of Registration." One-time compensation of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to Muslim Marriage Registrars for their rehabilitation after the Act is repealed. Further, listing the reason behind repealing the law, the Assam Government said that it is an obsolete pre-Independence Act of the British for the then Province of Assam.

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"Registration of marriages and divorces is not mandatory as per the Act and the machinery of registration is informal, leaving a lot of scope for non-compliance of extant norms. As per provisions of the Act, there remains scope for registering marriages of intended persons below 21 years (for males) and 18 years (for females) and there is hardly any monitoring for implementation of the Act," state government said.

Targeting Muslims says AIUDF's Rafiqul Islam

After the Assam Cabinet announced to repeal the 'Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935', All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Rafiqul Islam on Saturday (Feb 24) criticised the decision, calling it a "tactic to target Muslims."

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"This Government doesn't have the courage to bring UCC. They can't do it. What they brought in Uttarakhand, is not UCC either...They were trying to bring UCC to Assam too. But I think they can't bring it to Assam because there are people from several castes and communities here...BJP followers themselves follow those practices here...Elections are approaching, this is just their tactics to target Muslims" - Rafiqul Islam, AIUDF leader

Rafiqul, while speaking to the media, claimed that the Assam government, led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, does not have the "courage" to bring the Uniform Civil Code, hence repealing the Marriage Act.

"They couldn't bring any Bill on polygamy or UCC in Assam...So, they are repealing the Assam Muslim Marriages & Divorces Registration Act. Assam cabinet doesn't have the right to repeal or amend a constitutional right..." - Rafiqul Islam, AIUDF leader

According to the 2011 census, Muslims make up 34 per cent of Assam's population, standing at 1.06 crore out of a total population of 3.12 crore. Last night, Chief Minister Sarma posted on social media that the Assam Cabinet has decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act 1935.