Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the state government has not yet decided on implementing a comprehensive Uniform Civil Code (UCC), as its focus is not aimed at targeting any particular religion but to address child marriage and promote women’s empowerment.
Sarma’s latest remarks contradict his earlier position, when he had indicated that Assam would follow Uttarakhand and Gujarat in introducing a UCC Bill, with exemptions for tribal communities.
UCC implies that all sections of society, irrespective of their religion, shall be treated equally according to a national civil code, which shall be applicable to all uniformly, covering areas like marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and succession of the property.
Addressing a press conference, Sarma clarified, "The government of Assam has not decided on implementing a comprehensive UCC. Our focus is on stopping child marriage and ensuring women’s empowerment." He mentioned that the recently tabled ‘The Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024’ is a step towards these objectives.
"This Bill mandates the compulsory registration of all marriages, which must be done by a sub-registrar rather than a 'kazi'. This is part of our effort, along with banning polygamy," Sarma explained.
He said the government is awaiting judicial comments on Uttarakhand’s UCC and is closely monitoring developments. "Our approach is different. We are not targeting any religion," he asserted.
Sarma added that the government plans to introduce a Bill addressing polygamy, aimed at regulating inter-religion marriages. "Some refer to these as ‘love jihad,’ but the appropriate term is the regulation of inter-religion marriages. This will apply to both Muslim grooms with Hindu brides and vice versa," he said.
In addition to these Bills, the government is pursuing other items aligned with its election manifesto, such as preserving iconic heritage structures, prohibiting land transfers beyond one’s community, and linking government jobs to domicile policies.
"Also, we are bringing out a white paper on circle-level or polling booth-level change in demography. It will show how where Hindus are in majority, Muslim population is increasing and communal harmony is maintained. But the reverse situation is happening in other parts, where Muslims are in majority," the CM said.
He emphasised that the government’s efforts are intended to be positive and non-partisan. "The white paper will reveal interesting facts. This is not a political maneuver. We ask the Congress to support this effort. Our aim is for people to live peacefully in their own communities," the Chief Minister said.