New Delhi: The Assam Assembly on Thursday passed a bill making government registration mandatory for Muslim marriages and divorces. The Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, introduced by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan, replaces a 90-year-old law related to Muslim marriage and divorce.
Sarma hails landmark legislation
Sarma tweeted that 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 said that this Act will now make it compulsory to register marriages with the government and cannot violate the legal age of marriage of 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys. It will also act as a strong deterrent against teenage pregnancy and improve the overall development of our girls.
Today is a historic day in our effort to fight the social evil of child marriage. The #AssamLegislativeAssembly has passed the ‘Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024’.
This Act will now make it mandatory to register marriages with the Govt and… pic.twitter.com/H7UiB03S1J
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 29, 2024
In response to the debate, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that previous marriage registrations by Kazis will remain valid under the new law, which applies only to new marriages. He said that the state government will not interfere with Muslim Personal Law or marriages conducted according to Islamic customs, except for marriages prohibited by Islam, which will not be registered. He noted that the new law aims to completely ban child marriage within Islam, aligning with Indian law, which prohibits child marriage across all religions.
Key objectives of legislation
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan added that the legislation aims to address several issues. It is expected to curb polygamy and ensure that married women can claim their rights to reside in the marital home and receive maintenance. The bill also seeks to help widows secure their inheritance rights and other benefits after the death of their husbands. Furthermore, it is intended to prevent men from abandoning their wives and to strengthen the institution of marriage.