The Assam Legislative Assembly is scheduled to deliberate on Thursday a new bill that mandates the compulsory registration of Muslim marriages and divorces. The bill, introduced two days ago, has sparked controversy, with opposition parties criticizing the move, citing the need to repeal an existing 1935 law governing these matters before enacting new legislation.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday called on Muslim legislators to back the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriage and Divorce Bill, as well as future measures aimed at curbing child marriages. “The conflicts between Hindus and Muslims cannot be resolved by silencing each other. Reconciliation and open dialogue are essential, and lawmakers from both communities should strive for this,” Sarma emphasized.
The proposed bill seeks to appoint government officials to register all Muslim marriages and divorces, with a particular focus on preventing child marriages. The bill is likely to pass smoothly, given the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition’s majority in the assembly.
If passed, the new legislation would replace the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act of 1935, which allowed—but did not require—the registration of marriages and divorces through government-authorized Qazis, or Islamic legal experts. The 1935 law also permitted the registration of marriages and divorces involving minors at the request of their guardians. On August 22, the government introduced a bill to repeal the 1935 law, paving the way for the new legislation.
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The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), a key opposition party, has opposed the introduction of the new bill, labeling it as illegal because the 1935 legislation remains in effect. “The discussion on repealing the 1935 law has not yet taken place in the assembly. The state government’s decision to introduce new legislation before that is improper, which is why we opposed it,” stated AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam.
On the day the bill was tabled, opposition parties accused Chief Minister Sarma of making communal and unconstitutional remarks, calling for his removal by President Droupadi Murmu and Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
The United Opposition Forum Assam, a coalition of 18 national and regional parties including Congress, Raijor Dal, and Assam Jatiya Parishad, announced plans to file a legal case against Sarma in Guwahati.
Lurinjyoti Gogoi, leader of the Assam Jatiya Parishad, described Sarma as aggressive and claimed that Assam is unsafe under his leadership. “He has jeopardized the future of the state’s youth with his statements and is attempting to incite tensions between Hindus and Muslims,” Gogoi said.
In the assembly on Tuesday, Sarma reiterated his concerns about the demographic changes in the state, citing an increase in the Muslim population and a decline in the Hindu population as a potential threat. He described it as the most pressing issue in Assam and called for a thorough debate. “The demographic shift in the lower Assam districts is happening so rapidly that it seems headed for an unprecedented human disaster. Several factors contribute to this, including a high birth rate among Muslims and the exodus of Hindus from areas in lower and central Assam, while no such trend is observed among Muslims,” Sarma remarked.
According to the 2011 census, Assam’s population was 31.2 million, with Hindus making up just over 19 million (61.47%), Muslims 10.6 million (34.22%), and the remaining population comprising Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.
Sarma pointed out that Assam’s Muslim population was 22% in 1947. “It rose to 24.68% in 1951 and 30.9% in 2001, with the highest increase recorded between 2001 and 2011. This demographic shift is occurring across all districts,” he noted.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the growing Muslim population in Hindu-majority areas of upper Assam, warning that if the trend continues, it could lead to unrest similar to the Assam Agitation of 1979-1985, which sought the detection and deportation of undocumented immigrants.
Sarma urged the assembly to take responsibility for preventing such a scenario from recurring. He called on Muslim lawmakers to protect Hindus living in their constituencies and to discourage underage marriages. Additionally, Sarma revealed plans to introduce legislation banning polygamy and appealed to Muslim lawmakers to support the initiative.
