It is the third state after Uttarakhand and Gujarat – all ruled by the Hindu nationalist BJP – to take steps toward a common civil law for all religious groups.
Guwahati, Dec 23 (PTI) A crackdown on child marriage with most arrests made in minority-dominated districts, an initiative to enact a law in the assembly to end the practice of polygamy and a socio-economic survey of five indigenous Muslim communities dominated the headlines in Assam in 2023.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a bill to ban polygamy will be introduced in the next session of the Assam assembly to be held in February.
Hundreds of villages in 20 districts of Assam recently organized awareness programs against child marriage. The state government wants to make Assam child marriage-free by 2026. The National Family Health Survey reports that 31.8% of women in Assam were married before the age of 18. The government has made arrests and allocated funds to prevent child marriage, and is also considering banning polygamy.
India News: Assam government has invited public opinion on the proposed law to end polygamy in the state and urged citizens to send suggestions. An expert committ