The Assam Assembly has passed a bill to repeal the Muslim Marriages and Divorces Act

Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 29: The Assam State Assembly passed the Assam Repealing Bill, 2024, on Thursday, which repeals the 89-year-old Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act and Rules of 1935.

The new bill, the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, introduced last week, aims to address issues related to child marriage and eliminate the 'Qazi' system used in Muslim marriage registration.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, "We want to end the Qazi system in Muslim marriage registration and also tackle child marriage in the state."

The opposition, particularly the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has opposed the repeal. AIUDF leader Aminul Islam commented, "While we are against child marriage, we believe the government could have amended provisions in the old act instead of completely repealing it."

Islam also mentioned, "We have no choice but to challenge this decision in court."

The Assam Repealing Bill, 2024 is intended to replace the Assam Repealing Ordinance, 2024, which repeals the 1935 Act and its rules. The bill argues that the 1935 Act, established by the British Indian Government, made marriage and divorce registration optional and informal, leading to non-compliance and misuse.

Assam Minister Jogen Mohan noted that the Act allowed for marriages involving individuals below the legal age and lacked effective monitoring, which contributed to litigation and potential misuse by both registrars and citizens.