According to Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state government is now implementing rules that were previously not enforced. This means they’re making sure these rules are followed. This change is significant for policy enforcement in the state.

Why Himanta Sarma Says Assam Govt Employees Can’t Marry Second Time.

Last Friday, Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made it clear that any state government employee must obtain official approval before entering into a second marriage. According to Assam’s CM, these directives align with existing but previously neglected regulations, which the state government has now chosen to enforce. This step is consistent with Assam’s government’s broader initiative to prohibit polygamy.

According to Himanta Biswa Sarma, an employee of the Assam government is not allowed to enter into a second marriage based on the state’s service rules. Even if a particular religion permits it, the employee must still seek permission from the state government, and there’s no guarantee that permission will be granted. Sarma explained that this regulation aims to avoid disputes between the two wives of a deceased employee over pension-related matters.

In September of this year, Himanta Biswa Sarma discussed the government’s plans to introduce a bill in the state assembly that would prohibit polygamy, which is the practice of marrying multiple people simultaneously. The government sought input on this proposal from 149 individuals, with 146 of them supporting the government’s stance.

The Assam government subsequently established a panel led by Devajit Lon Saikia, Advocate General of Assam, to draft legislation that would ban polygamy. This panel is also tasked with proposing laws to address related issues such as dealing with inter-religious marriages involving false identities and the role of Kazis in matters related to child marriages.

Assam’s crackdown against child marriages.

Assam police have initiated a rigorous campaign to combat child marriages in the state, resulting in the arrest of more than 3,900 individuals. In the recent wave of arrests that commenced on October 3rd, over 1,000 people have been apprehended under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“In a significant effort to curb child marriages, Assam Police has detained more than 800 individuals in a special operation that commenced at the crack of dawn. The number of arrests is expected to increase,” stated the Chief Minister in a social media post.

This issue has stirred political controversy in the state, with the Congress party criticizing the government’s approach to addressing the problem of child marriages. Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed expressed disagreement, saying, “We do not endorse the government’s method. Taking action against people who were married 5-10 years ago and now have children will not yield positive results. The focus should be on people who have recently married.”

(As reported by The Hindu and ANI)

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