Assam Passes Polygamy Ban; CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Calls Practice a ‘Curse for Muslim Women’

The Assam government on Thursday passed the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, officially making polygamy illegal in the state.

The legislation—seen as one of the strongest anti-polygamy frameworks in India—will come into force after it receives President Droupadi Murmu’s assent, expected by early December.

Under the new law, individuals who hide an existing marriage could face up to 10 years in prison, while entering a second marriage without legally dissolving the first may lead to up to seven years’ imprisonment. Repeat offenders will receive double punishment. Clerics who solemnise banned marriages may face fines up to ₹1.5 lakh, and withholding information from the police could result in up to two years in jail.

The bill was approved after a day-long discussion in the Assam Assembly. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, defending the legislation, described child marriage and polygamy as “a curse for women in the Muslim society,” arguing that such practices deny women dignity and fundamental rights.

Sarma cited troubling trends—girls becoming mothers as young as 12, elderly men marrying teenagers under the pretext of community norms, and minors pushed into marriage because of poverty. He said the government has intensified its crackdown on child marriage, with over 5,000 arrests this year, several cases filed under the POCSO Act, and trials currently underway. “People are afraid to engage in child marriage now,” he asserted.

Highlighting welfare initiatives, the Chief Minister pointed to the Nijut Maina scheme, under which 50,000 college-going girls have benefitted this year. He said enrolment among girls has risen significantly and dropouts in colleges are now “almost nil.” He also linked the polygamy ban to broader women-centric measures such as Orunodoi, reservation policies, and panchayat reforms.

Responding to criticism from the opposition, Sarma called the bill “politics for the empowerment of women from marginalised communities.” He noted that some families marry off minor girls to settle land disputes, leaving young girls vulnerable to exploitation. “Child marriage and polygamy have crushed the liberty of women,” he said, adding that no woman MLA from the minority community has been elected since Anowara Taimur.

Sarma further announced that, if re-elected, his government plans to introduce a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam and raise the legal marriage age for women to 21 years.