Aizawl: The Mizoram Legislative Assembly on February 24 unanimously passed a bill amending the Mizo Marriage, Divorce and Inheritance of Property Act, 2014, bringing substantial reforms to age-old customary laws governing marriage, separation and property rights in the state.
The legislation was introduced by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, who also holds the law portfolio.
The amended legislation modernises traditional practices while retaining the spirit of Mizo customs, and introduces several significant provisions aimed at protecting individual rights, especially those of women.
A central feature of the amendment is the formal prohibition of polygamy and bigamy. Under the revised law, no individual is permitted to enter into a second marriage while a previous one is still legally valid. Anyone seeking to remarry must produce a valid divorce certificate from the competent authority, ensuring respect for legal due process. The change aligns the state’s customary law with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which criminalises bigamy and polygamy at the national level.
One of the most transformative aspects of the amendment is the enhancement of women’s financial and property rights. Under the earlier law, a woman was typically entitled only to reclaim the dowry or bride price (known as Sum Chhuah in Mizo tradition) she brought into the marriage after separation. The revised provisions now entitle a woman, following divorce or separation, to claim up to 50 per cent of the assets and properties jointly acquired during the marriage, recognising her contribution to the marital partnership and offering much-needed economic security.
A major and sensitive change relates to inter-community marriages. Under the amended law, Mizo women who marry non-Mizos will no longer fall under the purview of this Act. They will relinquish their Mizo customary status, and importantly, their children will not be considered Scheduled Tribe (ST) under this legislation. This provision marks a sharp departure from the earlier regime under which the Act applied to both Mizo men and women regardless of whom they married.
Another notable change is the removal of leprosy as a ground for divorce. The Chief Minister noted that since leprosy is now a treatable condition, it should not constitute a fault for dissolution of marriage.
The amended Act, to be known as the Mizo Marriage and Inheritance of Property (Amendment) Act, will apply across the entire state of Mizoram except in the three Autonomous District Councils, where customary laws governing personal matters continue to operate independently.