GUWAHATI: The Assam Assembly has abolished a British-era rule that granted a two-hour break to Muslim MLAs to offer “namaz” on Fridays.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarm took to X and said that by doing away with the “Jumma” break which was introduced by the Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937, the Assembly “prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage”.
He expressed gratitude to Speaker Biswajit Daimary and “our legislators” for this “historic” decision.
A statement issued by the Assembly secretariat said since the creation of the state Assembly, the sitting of the House on Fridays would be adjourned at 11 am to facilitate the Muslim MLAs to go for namaz and the Assembly would resume proceedings in the post-lunch session following their return.
On all other days, the House conducted its proceedings without any such adjournment for religious purposes.
“The Speaker took note of this matter and in view of the secular nature of the Constitution, proposed that the Assam Assembly must conduct its proceedings on Fridays like any other day without any adjournment to facilitate Muslim members to go for namaz. Accordingly, the proposal to do away with this rule in the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly was placed before the Rules Committee headed by the Hon’ble Speaker," the statement said.
It added, “The Rules Committee unanimously agreed to drop this rule. Accordingly, today, the House adopted a motion to amend this rule so as to provide for sitting of the House for conduct of its proceedings on Fridays like any other day. So, today history has been created by doing away with this colonial practice which was aimed at dividing the society on religious basis.”
The 13-member Assembly Rules Committee had three Muslim MLAs. Some legislators from the community opposed the decision.
“Assam has the highest number of Muslim MLAs after Jammu and Kashmir. Around 25% of the MLAs in the Assam Assembly had been from the Muslim community from before independence. As they had to take part in the discussions on various issues and they could not be absent en bloc, the two-hour break was granted,” minority-based All India United Democratic Front MLA Aminul Islam said.
He lamented that his suggestion to the Rules Committee to reduce the break from two hours to one hour was not considered.
Congress MLA Wajed Ali Choudhury said, “We don’t know why this had to be done away with. We haven’t welcomed this decision. We are hurt.”
He said two Congress MLAs were part of the Rules Committee and they had opposed it.
However, Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita said, “If they are to be given this break, then we (Hindus) should also be considered. Some of us go to temples on Mondays, some go on Thursdays while some others go on Saturdays.”