GUWAHATI: The Assam meeting on Thursday handed a invoice for obligatory govt registration of marriage and divorce of Muslims within the state. Responding to queries on The Assam Obligatory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Invoice 2024, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma assured that the government will adhere to Muslim private legislation and Islamic rituals whereas requiring obligatory registration.
“Muslim marriages already registered by Qazis, and people married within the absence of Qazis within the final six months (after Qazis turned irrelevant following an ordinance), can be legitimate for registration however meant marriages must be registered compulsorily,” Sarma mentioned.
Earlier within the day, the Home additionally handed the Assam Repealing Invoice, 2024, which abolished the colonial-era Assam Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935.
The Assam Repealing Invoice is a part of the government’s effort to forestall youngster marriage and get rid of the ‘Qazi’ system in Muslim marriage registration. Sarma acknowledged that Qazis, who aren’t govt officers, can’t be authorised to register marriages. The registration will as an alternative be finished by govt-appointed officers for a symbolic charge of Rs 1, with particular sub-registrars appointed for this goal.
With this, the CM vowed to finish youngster marriage within the state by 2026. Underneath the brand new laws, women should be at the least 18 years outdated and boys 21 years of age on the date of solemnisation of marriage. The wedding should be carried out with the free consent of each events.
Each time any marriage is dissolved or a divorce happens, both by a courtroom decree or in any other case, the events concerned should apply to the jurisdictional Marriage and Divorce Registrar to register the divorce inside one month.
The CM knowledgeable the meeting, “Marriages solemnised by Qazis, until it was permissible, can be authorized. However as the government goes for obligatory registration, it can’t be finished by personal folks and needs to be finished by govt officers solely.”
He additional acknowledged that the Supreme Courtroom has additionally instructed shifting in direction of obligatory marriage registration in a bid to curb youngster marriage or marriage earlier than attaining the authorized age.
Sarma mentioned youngster marriages had been solemnised by some Kazis prior to now, prompting the government to abolish the system. “Women are protected if their marriage is registered with the government,” he acknowledged, underlining the necessity to tackle the problem in districts like South Salmara Mankachar and Dhubri, which have the very best charges of kid marriages within the state.
“Nikaah needs to be finished; we aren’t interfering with Islamic rituals. Our govt is worried solely with registration,” reaffirmed Sarma.
He reminded the opposition MLAs that their focus must be on the way forward for women fairly than the 90 Qazis beforehand authorised to solemnise marriages within the state. Marriage registration officers can be appointed as much as the gram panchayat degree if needed.
States like Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala, which have a excessive Muslim inhabitants, already conduct Muslim marriage registration by way of the government, Sarma mentioned.
