The government’s proposed uniform civil code of law, which Muslim groups fiercely reject as an assault on their faith, is thought to be one step closer to reality with this measure at the state level.
A bill requiring Muslims to register their marriages and divorces has been introduced by Indian authorities in the state of Assam. The chief minister of the state claims that this move will assist prevent underage marriage.
Though personal affairs like marriage, divorce, and inheritance are handled by distinct norms based on the traditions of different cultures and faiths, India’s 1.4 billion citizens are subject to a common criminal code.
Other religions must already register weddings with civil authorities in Assam.
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leads the state government of Assam. The BJP said that the measure will be introduced in the upcoming state assembly.
The northeastern state’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, told reporters on Wednesday, “Our basic intention is to stop child marriages.”
According to Sarma, the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill would merely make sure marriages and divorces were officially registered, not that religious practices would be restricted.
The legislation will “provide safeguards and benefits… especially to women and prevent the menace of child marriages,” according to him.
This month, Modi declared his intention to move forward with the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which would standardize personal rules for all faiths and religious communities.
Many communities worry that a UCC would violate their religious rules; this is especially true of Muslims.
A universal civil code, according to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, is unacceptable because it violates Islamic law. This statement was made last week.
“The All India Muslim Personal Law Board considers the Prime Minister’s call, on the occasion of Independence Day, for a Secular Civil Code and terming religious personal laws as communal ones is highly objectionable,” the organization stated in a press release.
According to Modi, it would act as an equalizer.
In a speech on August 15, Modi declared, “Those laws that divide the country on the basis of religion, that become reason for inequality, should have no place in a modern society.”
“That is why I say: the times demand that there is a secular civil code in the country.”
Although Modi was compelled to form a coalition government for the first time in ten years, he was able to win a third consecutive term in office in June.
The Hindu nationalist discourse of the BJP has caused the more than 220 million Muslims in India to become more fearful for their future.
