The Assam Assembly passed on Thursday a bill making registration of marriage and divorce of Muslim people mandatory, a proposed law that the state government believes will help check child marriages, marriages without consent of both parties, polygamy, and to enable married women to claim their right to live in matrimonial house and maintenance etc.
The Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024 was introduced by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan on Tuesday.
Replying to queries on the Bill, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said all earlier registrations of marriages conducted by 'Kazis' will remain valid and only new ones will come under the purview of the legislation.
"We are not interfering with the marriages solemnised by Islamic rituals under Muslim Personnel Law at all. Our only condition is that Islam prohibited marriages will not be registered," news agency PTI quoted CM Sarma as saying.
The chief minister said with the enactment of this new law, child marriage registration will be completely banned.
What Assam's Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill
The Statement of Object and Reason of the Bill says it has been proposed for the prevention of child marriages and marriages without consent of both parties.
It will help check polygamy, enable married women to claim their right to live in matrimonial house, maintenance, etc, and enable widows to claim their inheritance rights and other benefits and privileges which they are entitled to after the death of their husband, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan who introduced the bill said.
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The bill will also prevent men from deserting wives after marriage and strengthen the institution of marriage, Mohan added.
Earlier, Muslim marriages were registered by Kazis. However, this new bill will ensure that all marriages of the community will be registered with the government.
CM Sarma Says 'Historic Day'
Taking to microblogging platform X after the bill's introduction, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday, "Today is a historic day in our effort to fight the social evil of child marriage. The Assam Legislative Assembly has passed the 'Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024."
He added, "This Act will now make it mandatory to register marriages with the Govt and cannot contravene the legal age of marriage of 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys."
It will also act as a strict deterrent against teenage pregnancy and improve overall growth of our girls, CM Sarma said.
He thanked legislators who pledged their support to this bill and state government's "vision of preventing child marriage". He said this bill is above party politics and is a means to give "girls a life of dignity."
