The Assam government has taken the first step towards the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). In this campaign, Himanta government has decided to abolish the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act 1935. Now every marriage in Assam will take place under the Special Marriage Act. The Assam government said in its statement that its decision will help in ending child marriage. This decision of the government was taken during the state cabinet meeting on Friday night.
Does Assam follow Uttarakhand?
Let us tell you here that Uttarakhand has recently implemented the Uniform Citizenship Act and this decision has come three weeks after this. Minister Jayant Mallabarua called it a big step in the direction of UCC.
child marriage will be abolished
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that on February 23, the Assam Cabinet took a historic decision to repeal the age-old Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act. The Act included several provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom were not of legal age 21 and 18 years. This step is another important step towards stopping child marriage in Assam.
94 Muslim registrars working under the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act have also been removed. These officers will now be relieved from their duties by paying a lump sum compensation of Rs 2 lakh. Minister Mallabarua also said that the main objective behind this decision is to move towards a Uniform Civil Code and this law which has been in place since the British times has become irrelevant today. Many child marriages have taken place under the Act and it is a step towards ending child marriage, where boys under the age of 21 and girls under the age of 18 are married.