Assam govt to table Bill in Assembly to repeal Muslim Marriage Act

In February, ministers had stated that once the Act is repealed, marriages in the Muslim community would be registered under the Special Marriage Act.

The decision to do away with the 1935 Act has been touted by the government as a step to curb child marriages. (File Photo)

The Assam government will table a Bill to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act of 1935 in the Assembly’s forthcoming Monsoon Session, cementing a decision taken earlier this year to scrap the law.

The 1935 Act lays down the process for registration of marriages and divorces in the state in line with Muslim personal law. In February, the Cabinet decided to repeal it and approved the Assam Repealing Ordinance, 2024.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Cabinet, after a meeting, had approved the tabling of the Assam Repealing Bill, 2024, to repeal the 1935 Act and its rules. Sarma also announced that the Cabinet has decided that alternative registration should be introduced for Muslim marriages, which will be considered in the next Assembly session.

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The decision to do away with the 1935 Act has been touted by the government as a step to curb child marriages. The government says the Act contains provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom have not reached the legal marriage age of 18 and 21, respectively.

In February, ministers had stated that once the Act is repealed, marriages in the Muslim community would be registered under the Special Marriage Act.

With Thursday’s announcement, however, the state government has suggested it will introduce a new legislation to govern Muslim marriages and divorces.

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