Assam axes colonial-era 2-hour Friday namaz break in Assembly; opposition calls it 'cheap popularity' stunt

Himanta Biswa Sarma, chief minister of India's north-eastern state, Assamannounced the removal of the two-hour break for Friday prayers, known as namaz, in the Assam Legislative Assembly on August 30. He described this move as a way to improve productivity and move away from colonial-era traditions.

The decision ends a practice dating back to 1937 that allowed Muslim lawmakers and staff to pause proceedings for Friday prayers.

"Since the creation of the Assam Legislative Assembly, the sitting of the Assembly on Friday used to be adjourned at 11 am to facilitate Muslim members to go for namaz. The assembly used to resume its proceedings in the post-lunch session after the Muslim members came back from the namaz. On all other days, the House used to conduct its proceedings without any such adjournment for religious purposes,"a press statement by the CM's office read.

By doing away with the 2 hour Jumma break, @AssamAssembly has prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage.

This practice was introduced by Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937.

My gratitude to Hon’ble Speaker Shri @BiswajitDaimar5 dangoriya and our… — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 30, 2024

“By doing away with the 2-hour Jumma break, Assam Assembly has prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage. This practice was introduced by Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937. My gratitude to Speaker Biswajit Daimary and our legislators for this historical decision,” Sarma wrote on X.

The decision to remove the namaz break was unanimously agreed upon by all members of the Assembly, marking the end of the Friday break from 12:00 pmto 2:00 pm (local time).

Opposition calls out 'cheap popularity' stunt

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav criticised the move, telling reporters in Patna, “The Assam Chief Minister is doing this for cheap popularity. Who is he? He just wants cheap popularity. BJP has made Muslims a soft target.”

“They want to bother Muslims in some way or the other and spread hatred in the society. BJP should understand that even Muslims had sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle,” the RJD leader added.

Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar also voiced his concerns, stating, "This has been a tradition and a trend that the House followed for decades. They decided to change it but was there a broader consultation? They have to explain why this decision was taken."

(With inputs from agencies)