The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam has introduced a new Bill in the State Assembly aimed at repealing the Assam Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935. The proposed Bill seeks to abolish the Act, arguing that it indirectly supports child marriage.
The 1935 Act, a pre-independence law, was originally designed to address Muslim religious and social arrangements in Assam. The Bill highlights that the Act’s non-mandatory registration process allows for the registration of marriages involving individuals below the legal age—21 years for males and 18 years for females. Additionally, the Act’s lack of stringent monitoring has led to numerous litigations in criminal and civil courts. The government argues that the current law is prone to misuse by registrars and citizens, enabling underage or forced marriages without proper consent.
