Guwahati: The BJP led Assam government has tabled the Prohibition of Polygamy Bill 2025 in the state assembly on November 25. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the bill in the assembly amid the criticism of the opposition parties. The much anticipated bill was placed in the house on the first day of the winter session. The oppositions including Congress, Left parties walkout from the assembly on heated argument with the ruling party on several issues.
The bill will be discussed in the assembly later and with the absolute majority numbers of the ruling NDA, the bill will be passed in the winter session of the assembly. The bill will be sent to the governor for his approval and will be an act of the state after government notification by the first week of December.
Once the bill passed in the state assembly and signed by the governor, Assam will be amongst a very few states of India having an act against polygamy. The BJP government has taken many corrective measures to safeguard the rights of women and girls in the state. As per the provision of the bill any person entering in a second marriage without legally separating with the first wife will be liable for 7 years of rigorous imprisonment.
The Assam government has been conducting series of drives against child marriage in the state starting from 2023. Thousands were arrested for their involvement in child marriage and over 12 cases were registered by police across the state on child marriage.
Assam records a sharp decline in child marriage cases with 89 percent decline amongst girls and 91 percent decline amongst boys during the period April 2022 to March 2025. A report published by an USA based NGO Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change for Children (CLAB) stated the statistics.
It should be mentioned that Love Jihad has become a major concern for Hindu community in the state as the cases are dangerously increasing in the state. Hundreds of cases of Love Jihad have been reported from various parts of Assam and even an entire family of a Hindu girl was killed by a Muslim man in Jorhat district last year in a love jihad case. Hindu organisations have been demanding a tough act to curb the menace of Love Jihad in the state. These organisations hope that after enactment of the new laws the anti-socialJihad elements will be controlled as per law for the safeguard of the society.
