No polygamy, child marriage: Himanta Sarma's 'conditions' for Bengali-speaking Muslims
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid down conditions on Saturday for the recognition of Bengali-speaking Bangladeshi Muslims as indigenous people in the state. He said that for the Muslim community, known as Miyas, to be recognized in Assam as indigenous people, the people of the community must adhere to certain cultural practices and norms. These include limiting family size to two children, withholding polygamy, and preventing the marriage of minor daughters.
Why does this story matter?
His comments came after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) went into effect earlier this month. The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Afghanistan. Since the notification by the central government, some states have started granting Indian citizenship to people from the aforementioned countries with valid documents.
Assam CM bats for women's education and monogamy
Sarma elaborated on his viewpoint by saying, "Whether 'Miyas' are indigenous or not is a different matter. What we are saying is that if they try to be 'indigenous,' we have no problem." "But for that, they have to forsake child marriage and polygamy and encourage women education." "Miya" is a term used negatively for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, who are often labeled as Bangladeshi immigrants by non-Bengali speakers.
Assam government's efforts to curb child marriage
Last year, the Sarma-led state government launched a campaign against child marriage, revealing that numerous older men had married multiple times, often to young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. The initial phase of this campaign in February led to 3,483 arrests and 4,515 cases registered. The subsequent phase in October resulted in an additional 915 arrests and 710 cases registered.
Revocation of Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act
In a bid to further tackle child marriage, the state cabinet announced a decision in February to revoke the 1935 Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act. This act contained provisions that allowed marriage registration even if the bride and groom were below the legal ages of 18 and 21 years, respectively. However, the opposition had criticized the move and labeled it an attempt to polarize voters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Proposed legislation to prohibit polygamy in Assam
Similarly, CM Sarma revealed plans to propose a bill aimed at prohibiting polygamy in Assam in February. This action, he believes, is a crucial step toward maintaining legal uniformity throughout the state's communities. While the bill wasn't tabled during the previous budget session of the state legislative assembly, an expert committee presented a report on the assembly's competence to end polygamy. Around 150 suggestions were received for the proposed legislation.
