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Synopsis

The Assam Cabinet has approved a bill to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935, which permits underage marriages under specific conditions, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced. The Repealing Bill 2024 is expected to be presented during the upcoming monsoon session of the Assembly.

This decision follows an earlier Cabinet approval to abolish the Act, with Thursday’s meeting authorising the necessary Repealing Bill to implement this decision. "We have taken a significant step to ensure justice for our daughters and sisters by putting additional safeguards against child marriage," Sarma posted on X, shortly after chairing the meeting.

"In the meeting of the #AssamCabinet today, we decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules 1935 via the Assam Repealing Bill 2024," Sarma added. The repeal aims to bring "parity in registration of marriage and divorce," he said, noting that the Repealing Bill will be presented to the Assembly in the next monsoon session for consideration.

The Cabinet had initially approved the decision to repeal the Act on February 23, aiming to end the social menace of child marriage in the state. "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," Sarma shared on X previously.

The decision has faced backlash from opposition parties, which label it as discriminatory against Muslims and accusing the government of trying to polarize voters in an election year. Congress MLA Abdul Rashid Mandal claimed that the BJP government is "absolutely anti-Muslim" and is attempting to show favoritism towards Hindus while depriving Muslims. AIUDF legislator Rafikul Islam stated that the Cabinet's decision was made with the "intention of targeting Muslims in an election year."