‘Repeal of Muslim Marriage Act in Assam ploy to appease Hindu sentiments’
New Delhi: Assam Cabinet’s decision to repeal the long-standing Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act of 1935 has come for sharp criticism with Congress MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal describing the move as a deliberate ploy to appease Hindu sentiments at the expense of the Muslim community.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Abdur Rashid Mandal vehemently opposed the decision, denouncing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government as “anti-Muslim.” He said the issue has deliberately been racked up with eyes on the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
The cabinet move is being viewed as a significant step towards implementing a Uniform Civil Code in the state. It has shifted all matters concerning Muslim marriages and divorces to the ambit of the Special Marriages Act.
He pointed to the government’s failure to enact broader reforms, such as implementing a Uniform Civil Code and banning polygamy, portraying the repeal as discriminatory.
Echoing Mandal’s sentiments, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Rafiqul Islam questioned the government’s commitment to enacting a Uniform Civil Code, casting doubt on its resolve and accusing it of targeting Muslims for political gain. Islam contended that the government lacked the courage to implement substantive reforms and asserted that the Assam cabinet overstepped its constitutional bounds by repealing the act.
Additionally, Samajwadi Party MP Syed Tufail Hasan expressed indifference towards the government’s decision, emphasising the primacy of religious customs within the Muslim community. Hasan asserted that Muslims will adhere solely to Shariah (Islamic jurisprudence) and the Qur’an, implying that state-imposed regulations hold little sway over religious practices.
The Assam government’s decision has sparked mixed reactions from civil society organisations and religious leaders.
