House Passes Anti-Polygamy Bill; CM Says UCC Is Next

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Assam Assembly today unanimously passed the historic Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, to prohibit and eliminate practices of polygamy and polygamous marriages in the state. The Act now awaits the assent of the President of India for its execution.

Taking part in the discussion of this bill in the house, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The agenda of our government is to protect the dignity of women. It’s a strong stride towards justice for our Narishakti. Towards that end, we’re checking child marriages, besides launching the Nijut Moina scheme for girls’ education. If I’m reelected as the Chief Minister in 2026, I assure the House of introducing a bill on the UCC (Uniform Civil Code) in the very first session. Our next agenda is ensuring equal rights for divorce proceedings for both men and women, putting an end to the practice of Nikah Halala, and fertility tests for both husband and wife in the event of divorce for a woman not bearing children. We’re also going to extend the marriageable age of girls to 21 years from the existing 18 years. We’ll also enact a law to tackle deceptive marriages.”

The Chief Minister said, “We’ve enacted this Act to rescue women who lose their rights to live due to polygamy. There are cases like 60-year-old men wedding 18-year-old girls. Matabars often marry underage girls with the promise of giving land settlement to the girls’ parents. Polygamy is prevalent not only among the Muslims alone. It is also seen among the Hindus.”

On sending the Act to the President of India for her assent, the Chief Minister said, “The Parliament enacted the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) in 1937. In the event of a state enacting an act overtaking a central law, the president’s assent is a must. I hope, being a woman, the President will give her assent to the Act. Prophet Hazarat Mahhamned considered monogamy as the law and polygamy as exceptional. However, most of the Muslims don’t follow this spirit. How can a man desert his wife for being ill or not bearing children? This Act will make people Muslims in the true sense of the term.”

On exempting the Sixth Schedule areas from this Act, the Chief Minister said, “The autonomous councils in the Sixth Scheduled areas, like the BTC, KAAC and the DHAC, have legislative power, besides the communities’ own customary laws. If we impose this act on them, we’ll hurt their touché sentiment. I hope these councils will enact laws in line with the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Act in their respective areas.”

Any offender under this Act shall not be entitled to any public employment or claim benefits of any government scheme, besides imprisonment up to 7 years and a fine.

Anyone who commits a subsequent marriage while hiding an existing one shall face 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine. A repeat offender under this Act will be punished with double the prescribed punishment for every subsequent offence.

A Gaonburah (village head), Kazi, parent, or legal guardian who dishonestly conceals facts or intentionally participates in the performance of a polygamous marriage may face up to 2 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 1,00,000. Any priest or Kazi who knowingly solemnises a marriage in violation of Section 4 may be punished with up to 2 years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 1,50,000.

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