Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that the state government will introduce a new bill in the assembly during the monsoon session starting tomorrow (Thursday), which will repeal some provisions of Muslim Personal Law. Experts say that if it is passed, it will be a big step towards Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that compulsory government registration of marriage and divorce of Muslim people will be done in the state. A bill will be introduced for this. He said, ‘Earlier Muslim marriages were registered through Qazis, but this new bill will ensure that all marriages taking place in the community will be registered with the government.’
During this, Sarma also claimed that earlier the marriages of minors were also registered by the Qazis, but the proposed bill will stop any such move. Citing the decisions of the cabinet, he said, ‘Now there will be no registration of marriages of minors at all. We want to end the evil practice of child marriage. Therefore, registration of marriages will be done in the sub-registrar office.’
CM Himanta said that there will be no ban on the rituals followed by Muslims during marriage ceremonies, but registration by Kazis has been banned. Let us tell you that last month the Assam Cabinet approved the bill to repeal the rules of the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act 1935, under which marriage at a young age was allowed under special circumstances.
Sarma had expressed concern over the changing ‘demography’ in the state a few days ago. He had claimed that the Muslim population in the state is increasing rapidly, which has now reached about 40 percent. He had said that the rapid demographic change in the state is not a political issue for us, it is an issue of existence. For me it is a question of life and death. (Input- Saraswat Kashyap)
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)