Guwahati:

The Assam government on Tuesday decided to change the name of Karimganj district in the Barak Valley to Sribhumi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, Sarma said at a press conference here.

“Over 100 years ago, Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore had described modern-day Karimganj district as Sribhumi – the land of Maa Lakshmi. Today, the Assam cabinet has fulfilled this long-standing demand of our people,” he said.

The move to rename the district will reflect the expectations and aspirations of the people of the district, Sarma said.

“We will continue to change names that do not have any dictionary reference or any other historical evidence. We have been doing this for a long time and it is a continuous process,” the CM said.

Besides, the state cabinet also decided to publish the voter list for the panchayat polls by December so that the election process is over by February 10 next year, Sarma said.

Talking about another decision, he said, “The cabinet approved holding an investment and infrastructure summit in Assam on February 24, 2025. We have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has accepted our request.” Focusing further on investment in infrastructure development, the Assam government will organise roadshows at various places abroad and other cities of India in the coming months to attract participants for the global summit, Sarma said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court today issued a contempt notice to the Assam government following a petition filed by 47 residents accusing the state of violating the top court’s order that no demolitions should be carried out without the court’s approval.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan ordered the state to respond within three weeks and directed that a status quo be maintained until the next hearing.

The petitioners claim their homes were demolished by the authorities despite the Supreme Court’s previous order, as well as an assurance from the Assam Advocate General to the Gauhati High Court on September 20 that no action would be taken against them until their petitions were resolved.

The case revolves around the bulldozer action on 47 households in Kachutoli Pathar village and surrounding areas in Assam’s Kamrup district. The petitioners argue that they have lived there for decades under agreements with the original landholders. They contest the state’s classification of them as “illegal occupants” of tribal land, contending that they have not violated any legal provisions and that their occupation was legitimate under existing agreements.

The petition alleges that authorities violated legal protocols, including the requirement to issue an eviction notice with a one-month period for occupants to vacate. Additionally, it argues that the demolitions were carried out without giving the residents a fair hearing and depriving them of their homes and livelihoods which is a violation of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and the right to life and personal liberty.

The Supreme Court’s September 17 order prohibited demolitions across the country without prior judicial approval, except in cases involving encroachments on public roads, footpaths, railway lines, or water bodies. Despite this, Assam authorities allegedly marked the petitioners’ homes for demolition without notice, leading to the present contempt petition.

Guwahati:

The Assam government on Thursday introduced a bill to repeal a law to register marriages and divorces of Muslims, stating that it had scope to allow marriages of minors from the community.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan tabled The Assam Repealing Bill, 2024 in the Assembly to abolish The Assam Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935 and the Assam Repealing Ordinance 2024.

“There remains a scope of registering marriages of intended person below 21 years (in case of male) and 18 years (in case of female),” he said in the Statement of Object and Reasons of the Repealing Bill.

It hardly had any provisions for monitoring the implementation of the Act throughout the state and it attracted huge amounts of litigation in the court, he added.

“There is a scope of misuse by both authorised licensee (Muslim marriage Registrars) as well as by citizens for underage/minor marriages and forcefully arranged marriages without the consent of the parties,” Mr Mohan said.

Besides, the registration of marriages and divorces were not mandatory, and the registration mechanism was informal that left a lot of scope for non-compliance of the norms, he added.

“It is a pre-independence Act adopted by British India Government for the then Province of Assam for Muslim religious and social arrangements,” the minister said.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Assam government will introduce a bill in the ongoing Autumn Session for compulsory government registration of marriage and divorce of Muslim people.

Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting Guwahati, Mr Sarma said the government will table the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriage and Divorce Bill, 2024.

Last month, the Cabinet had approved the Repealing Bill to abolish the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935, which permitted underage marriages under specific conditions.

The Assam Cabinet had approved the decision to repeal the Act on February 23, in a bid to end the social menace of child marriage in the state.

The opposition parties had decried the decision, terming it ‘discriminatory against the Muslims’ brought in to polarise the voters in an election year.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In a significant move, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that his government will introduce a bill for the compulsory government registration of Muslim marriages and divorces in the upcoming Autumn assembly session.

The bill, known as the Assam Compulsory Registration of Marriage And Divorce Bill, aims to address and prevent child marriages in the state.

Speaking to the media ahead of the monsoon session, Mr Sarma stated that the new legislation will prohibit the registration of marriages involving individuals under the age of 18.

This step is part of a broader effort to safeguard minors and ensure that all marriages comply with legal standards.

On Wednesday, the Assam Cabinet approved the Muslim Marriage Registration Bill 2024, which stipulates that marriage registrations will be handled by government authorities rather than Qazis.

Once enacted, the new law will make the registration of child marriages illegal.

In addition to the marriage registration bill, Mr Sarma revealed that the state government will introduce a new law criminalising “Love Jihad”, with provisions for life imprisonment for those found guilty. He also mentioned plans to propose a bill to prevent inter-religious land transfers.

The Assam government has previously decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules 1935 through the Assam Repealing Bill 2024. This repeal, along with the proposed new legislation, will be tabled in the next monsoon session of the state assembly.

Additionally, the State Cabinet has directed the preparation of suitable legislation for the registration of Muslim marriages in Assam, to be considered in the upcoming session.

Earlier, the Assam government had considered introducing legislation on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) following the Lok Sabha elections. Mr Sarma has also pledged that child marriages will be eradicated from Assam by 2026.

The Assam government has extended the “Disturbed Area” status of four districts for six months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958. 

The four districts – Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar – have been identified as areas that require special attention due to continuous presence of militant organizations. 

The Assam Police submitted a proposal to the Home Ministry seeking extension of the “Disturbed Area” status in the four districts. According to the Assam Police, the overall law and order situation of the state has improved. However, one militant group remains active in these districts. 

After due consideration, the home ministry approved the extension of AFSPA in the four districts, starting from April 1.

Guwahati:

The Assam government has barred its employees from marrying another person if the spouse is alive and warned of punitive action if they indulged in bigamy.

The ‘Office Memorandum’ (OM) by the personnel department, which did not mention a divorce criterion, instructed employees to obtain the government’s permission before marrying another person if the spouse is alive.

“No government servant who has a wife living shall contract another marriage without first obtaining the permission of the government, notwithstanding that such subsequent marriage is permissible under the personal law for the time being applicable to him,” it added.

Likewise, no female government servant shall marry any person who has a husband living without first obtaining the permission of the government, said the OM, which came into force with immediate effect.

The notification was issued by personnel additional chief secretary Niraj Verma on October 20, but it came to light on Thursday.

It said the guidelines have been issued as per the provisions of Rule 26 of The Assam Civil Services (Conduct) Rules 1965.

“In the context of the above provisions, the disciplinary authority may initiate immediate departmental proceeding…for imposition of major penalty, including compulsory retirement,” the order stated.

It termed such a practice as a gross misconduct on the part of a government servant having “large bearings” on society.

The OM further asked authorities to also take necessary legal steps whenever such cases are detected. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)