Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday that the state government would enact legislation to ban polygamy within the current financial year.
The CM’s comments came after an expert committee formed by the state government to examine the competence of the state legislature to enact such a law submitted its report to him earlier in the day.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Assam had constituted a four-member committee headed by retired Guwahati high court judge Rumi Phukan in May to look into the issue and submit a report within 60 days.
“I have not gone through the contents of the report. The committee was entrusted with the task of finding out whether the state government can formulate a law to ban polygamy. The committee has told us that we do have such a right, but the legislation must be given final assent by the President and not the governor,” Sarma told journalists in Guwahati.
The CM said that since existing state laws on Muslim marriages don’t specify eligible age of the brides and groom, the committee also suggested keeping a provision to mention eligible age for marriage for all in the proposed polygamy law so that there’s no lack of clarity with that and rules under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“We have Assembly session from September 16. We might table the legislation in that session or in the budget session early next year. We will need to give time to MLAs to discuss and debate the issue. But it is sure that the law will come into effect within the existing financial year,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“We have Assembly session from September 16. We might table the legislation in that session or in the budget session early next year. We will need to give time to MLAs to discuss and debate the issue. But it is sure that the law will come into effect within the existing financial year,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Sarma said that views received on the issue from almost all communities in the state have shown that they welcome such legislation.
“Assam is now closer to creating a positive ecosystem for women’s empowerment irrespective of caste, creed or religion,” the CM said on X (formerly Twitter) after receiving the committee’s report.