Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma led the Assam government to ban polygamy in the state within the next six months. Addressing the press on the occasion of two years’ completion of his government, CM Sarma said that the Assam government will form a special committee in the next two days to examine the legal procedures to ban polygamy in the state.
The Assam government has decided to form an expert committee to examine whether the state government has the authority to prohibit polygamy in the state or not, the CM said. The committee will scrutinise the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act 1937 along with Article 25 of the constitution of India, in relation to the directive principle of state policy for a uniform civil code.
The committee will engage in extensive discussions with all stakeholders, including legal experts, to arrive at a well-informed decision. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that there are very less polygamy practices amongst the Assamese-speaking Muslims. But polygamy is found largely in areas like Barak Valley, Hojai, Jamunamukh etc. These areas are mostly migrant Muslim-dominated.
The CM also pointed out that during the recent crackdown against child marriage, it was found that people aged 60, to 65 years do polygamy and marry younger girls in Muslim areas. CM Sarma said a crackdown against child marriage is not enough, banning polygamy is also equally important. It was found in the state that well-to-do elderly men marry much younger girls in the name of polygamy. But we don’t want to implement it forcefully. The committee will discuss the matter with Muslim leaders, and Islamic clerics too. It should be like a consensus-building activity, not something provocative.
CM Sarma said, “I have studied Islamic law very carefully in the last 7 days, polygamy is not an essential practice according to the Islamic law. Prophet Mohammed had talked only about monogamy. Polygamy is only with the prior consent of the first wife, that too in medical conditions in those days. But nowadays it is not relevant. Monogamy is the root, polygamy is exceptional”, CM Sarma said.
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