GUWAHATI:
Assam cabinet
decided Friday to repeal the
British-era
Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act of 1935, transferring all nuptials and divorce proceedings under that law to the ambit of the Special Marriage Act of 1954, reports Prabin Kalita.
Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said the objective of repealing the "obsolete" law was to prepare the ground for implementing the proposed Uniform Civil Code, which BJP-governed Uttarakhand adopted less than three weeks ago.
CM Himanta Sarma wrote on X, "The Act contains provisions allowing marriage registration even if bride and groom have not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21, as required by law. This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam."
Assam has 94 Muslim registrars currently functioning under the legislation, all of whom will be relieved of their responsibilities with a one-time compensation of Rs 2 lakh each.
Once the bill to repeal the Act is passed in the assembly, district commissioners and registrars will record
Muslim marriages
and cases of divorce.
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