“Tortures Will Now Be Stopped..”: Assam CM Vows To Repeal Marriage Act

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated today (on Tuesday) that women who obtained divorces under the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registrations Act, 1935, were not entitled to alimony. With the state cabinet’s decision to abolish the Act, Sarma asserted that this “injustice” towards Muslim women would cease, allowing them to receive subsistence as mandated by a court of law.

“Under this Act, kazis had the authority to register marriages and grant divorces. However, when a divorce was granted by a kazi, the woman received nothing. Conversely, if a court granted the divorce, the ex-husband was obligated to provide subsistence,” Sarma explained to reporters during a program.

He further emphasized, “The suffering our mothers endured will now come to an end,” referring to the state cabinet’s move to repeal the Act, which allegedly permitted marriage registration even if the bride and groom were underage.

Highlighting the issue of kazis obtaining bail despite registering underage marriages under the Act, Sarma remarked, “With the abolition of this law, divorces will become more stringent, and the registration of marriages involving underage girls will no longer be possible.”

While the ruling BJP welcomed the cabinet’s decision to repeal the Act, opposition parties in the state criticized it as “discriminatory against Muslims,” suggesting it was introduced to polarize voters in an election year.

Sarma had asserted that the decision was made to combat the social issue of child marriage in the state. The government has initiated a rigorous, phased crackdown against it since the previous year.