In a meeting held on February 23, the Assam cabinet made several historic decisions aimed at overhauling outdated legislation, enforcing developmental schemes and promoting cultural inclusion in the state.
The key outcomes of the high-level meeting include the repeal of the archaic Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, huge financial allocations to elevate rural economy and infrastructure, elevation of Manipuri as an associate official language and introduction of several tribal languages in districts where they are predominantly spoken.
Collectively, these crucial resolutions signify the government’s commitment to legal reforms, social progress, economic advancement and preservation of linguistic diversity.
Scrapping Muslim Marriage Law, Curb Child Unions
Perhaps the most radical among all cabinet decisions is the rescinding of the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act – an 89-year-old legislation that allowed registration of marriages and divorces for the Muslim community.
Religious leaders have argued that this age-old Act provided legal sanctuary for child marriages. It supposedly allowed registration of nuptials even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal marriageable ages of 18 and 21 years respectively, as mandated by central laws.
With nearly 34% of Assam’s 3.1 crore population identifying as Muslims, this legislation had authorized 94 registrars to formally register marital unions or dissolutions as per its provisions. That changes with this repeal.
Scrapping this Act is a historic step toward enforcing uniformity in marriage registration and preventing child marriage – an endemic societal problem. After this development, the secular Special Marriage Act will govern all registrations invariably across religions.
₹2 Lakh Compensation for 94 Muslim Registrars
These 94 registrars operating under the authority of the now-defunct Muslim Marriages Act will inevitably lose their legal powers to register marriages or divorces.
As a goodwill measure, the cabinet has decided to provide a one-time financial compensation of ₹2 lakhs to each of these registrars in view of the discontinuation.
The state administration will take due custody of records maintained by these authorized officers during their tenure.
The home department will soon issue directions regarding the formal cessation of their services.
Other Major Decisions to Elevate Assam’s Economy
Alongside the historic repeal of Muslim marriage legislation, the state cabinet sanctioned over ₹1200 crores for various initiatives aimed at reviving rural economy, elevating infrastructure facilities and preserving linguistic diversity.
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₹1000 Crore Package to Boost Rural Economy
Recognizing pandemic-driven distress in rural belts, the government has approved ₹1000 crore package for infusing capital, technological interventions and interest subventions to give impetus to village economy.
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₹274 Crore Sanctioned for Infra Development
For elevating road connectivity and urban infrastructure, Assam cabinet allocated ₹274 crore toward constructing economic corridors and improving amenities across municipalities. These projects include upgrading roads, creating economic corridors, and improving water supply, sewage systems, and street lighting.
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Manipuri as Associate Official Language
In a bid to promote cultural diversity, Manipuri language will now be included as an associate official language in 4 revenue districts of the state, Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Hojai, where it holds cultural significance.
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6 Tribal Languages to be Introduced in Schools
Similarly, 6 native tribal languages Mising, Rabha, Karbi, Tiwa, Deori and Dimasa- as medium of instruction as per the NEP 2020 will be introduced in districts where the respective linguistic groups form a sizeable share of the population for preserving these indigenous languages.
Legal Reforms Meet Developmental Priorities
As evident, while some cabinet resolutions directly address legal reforms like implementing uniform civil code and banning child marriages, others are focused on accelerating rural economy, boosting infrastructure and preserving the cultural fabric.
Collectively, these crucial decisions reveal the government’s multi-pronged approach to overhaul outdated legislation, drive economic growth and also promote inclusion of minority communities through preservation of their linguistic identities.
The historic cabinet meeting held on Feb 23 2024 reflects Assam’s continued commitment to modernization, development and social progress in the 21st century.
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