Guwahati, May 27: Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika strongly defended the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the Assam Legislative Assembly on May 27, stating that laws permitting polygamy were inconsistent with the principle of equality and should be abolished.
Participating in the discussion on the UCC Bill during the fourth day of the ongoing Assembly session, Hazarika questioned the continuation of separate marriage laws for different communities and specifically raised concerns over differing provisions applicable to Muslims.
“Why different marriage laws for Muslims?” the minister asked while expressing support for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in the state.
Referring to the issue of polygamy, Hazarika argued that legal action should be taken against individuals marrying multiple women without the consent of existing spouses.
He said that if a man entered into subsequent marriages without the consent of his existing wives, legal consequences should follow. According to him, such practices violated the principles of fairness and equality.
Hazarika further stated that laws intended to promote equality should apply uniformly across communities and maintained that the state required legal provisions preventing men from marrying multiple women.
“Standing in this respected House, we must clearly say that rules promoting equality are the right rules,” he said.
Responding to criticism that the proposed legislation targeted a particular religion, the minister rejected such claims and said the UCC dealt with civil issues rather than religious beliefs or practices.
He said the legislation was not intended to interfere with religious customs and was instead focused on civil matters such as marriage, inheritance, maintenance, property rights and polygamy.
“The Uniform Civil Code is not an attack on any religion, nor is it about interfering with any religious rituals or practices,” Hazarika said, adding that these issues formed the central objective of the proposed Bill.
The Assam government has maintained that the UCC seeks to promote equality and social justice, while opposition parties and several organisations have expressed concerns regarding provisions and exemptions included in the draft legislation.
