The Assam Assembly on Wednesday held a discussion on the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, with ruling NDA legislators defending the legislation as a historic measure to protect women's rights, while opposition members raised objections to its provisions. The debate took place on the final day of the first session of the new Assembly, where the Bill was taken up for passage.
The Assam government had tabled the UCC Bill on Monday, seeking to ban polygamy and make the registration of live-in relationships compulsory. The proposed law introduces punitive measures for non-compliance, including up to seven years of imprisonment for bigamy or polygamy, and up to three months in jail for failing to register a live-in relationship. The legislation explicitly exempts all Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam, ensuring their traditional laws remain intact.
During the debate, BJP MLA and former state minister Pijush Hazarika urged all sections of the House to support the Bill, maintaining that it does not target any specific religion or religious practice. He clarified that the law does not ban live-in relationships but merely mandates their registration. Hazarika questioned the fairness of systems that allow men of a certain section to marry four times without the consent of their previous wives, asserting that true religious equality requires such practices to face legal penalties.
Hazarika also criticized the Congress party for its opposition to the Bill, accusing them of denying equal rights and respect to women. Displaying a copy of the Constitution, he claimed that Congress leaders frequently accuse the central government of destroying the document without understanding its contents, noting that the opposition party opposes bans on cow slaughter despite constitutional provisions against it.
Supporting the legislation, BJP legislator Diplu Ranjan Sharma stated that introducing the Bill reflects the NDA's commitment to fulfilling its governance promises.
Asom Gana Parishad legislator Prithiraj Rava argued that the Bill would help address changing demographic patterns in the state. He stated that the primary concern is the population explosion resulting from multiple children across multiple marriages, and maintained that the law would benefit and protect women.
Representing the Bodoland People's Front, MLA Rabiram Narzary supported the Bill, noting that the traditional laws of tribal communities had been safely exempted. He called the legislation a necessary step for national unity and integrity, though he requested clarity on the legal status of divorced tribal women married to non-tribals, urging that existing protections for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes remain fully intact under the new framework.
(With inputs from PTI)