Nikah without a qazi! Assam approves new law for mandatory registration of Muslim marriages, divorces
Assam cabinet approved the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriage and Divorce Bill, 2024, mandating Muslims to register marriages and divorces with the government. This will eliminate the role of “qazis” in this process, and aims to curb child marriages.
The proposed law will be presented in the legislative assembly during the autumn session beginning Thursday. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared on social media platform X, «Today the Assam Cabinet has approved the Muslim Marriage Registration Bill 2024. It has two special provisions: Now the registration of Muslim marriages will be done by the government and not by the Qazi” and “registration of child marriage shall be deemed illegal.»
District commissioners and registrars will be responsible for keeping the registration records, which are currently held by 94 qazis authorized under a British-era law from 1935. The new bill intends to prevent the registration of marriages involving minors, something that was previously handled by the qazis.
«Marriages of minors were also registered by the qazis. Now, child marriage registration will not happen at all. We want to end the menace of child marriage,» CM Sarma stated. He clarified that the new law does not alter the traditional Islamic marriage system, but only changes the registration process. «Only change will be the registration part. Marriages and divorces will be registered at the sub-register’s office,» reported TOI quoting him.
In July, the Assam cabinet had already approved the repeal
