Center Assam to Ban Polygamy: A Step Towards Uniform Civil Code

Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on Thursday that the state will be moving to pass a Bill to ban polygamy until a final decision is made on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Sarma expressed the state government’s support for the UCC, despite opposition from NDA partners governing other states in the region such as Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram.

Sarma emphasized that Assam will independently work towards introducing legislation to ban polygamy. He explained that the UCC is a matter to be decided by Parliament, with states able to make a decision with the President’s assent. He also highlighted the various issues involved in the UCC, including the ongoing examination by the Law Commission and the Parliamentary committee. Sarma stated that the Assam government has already conveyed its support for the UCC.

Sarma further expressed the intention to immediately ban polygamy in Assam while a decision on the UCC is pending. He reiterated previous announcements about the state’s move to ban polygamy through legislative action, including the formation of a committee headed by retired High Court judge, Justice Rumi Phukan, to examine the legislative competence of the state legislature to end polygamy. The committee was given 60 days to submit its report, with a plan to introduce the Bill in the September Assembly session.

Sarma had initially proposed the ban on polygamy in response to the discovery during a crackdown on child marriage that many men in Assam were marrying multiple times, often involving minor girls. He emphasized that banning polygamy is an important step in addition to the crackdown on child marriage.