Gas prices may come to normal, but a girl’s dignity can’t be regained, says Assam CM after assembly passes UCC Bill

Assam on Wednesday (May 27) passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the state Assembly after a marathon debate between the ruling NDA and opposition parties, becoming the third Indian state after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to move ahead with a UCC framework. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the legislation as a landmark reform aimed at safeguarding women’s dignity and rights. “UCC is the best beginning of our government’s five-year journey,” Sarma said during the discussion in the Assembly.

The Bill was passed amid noisy protests by opposition legislators from the Congress and the AIUDF, who questioned both the intent and the “uniformity” of the proposed law. Defending the legislation, Sarma argued that women’s dignity must remain paramount. “Gas price will increase, price will decrease one day, but if a girl loses her dignity, it can never be gained back,” he said in the House.

The Assam government had tabled the Bill in the Assembly on Monday. It proposes a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion. Under the proposed legislation, polygamy would be banned, and registration of live-in relationships would become mandatory. The Bill also prescribes punitive provisions, including imprisonment of up to seven years for bigamy or polygamy and up to three months in jail for failing to register a live-in relationship.

However, Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam have been excluded from the ambit of the law. The state government maintained that traditional tribal customs and laws should remain protected. Opposition parties strongly objected to the Bill during the debate, terming it part of the BJP’s “political agenda” and demanding wider consultations before its passage.

Congress Legislature Party leader Wajed Ali Choudhury argued that most issues covered under the proposed UCC were already addressed through existing laws on child marriage, marriage registration, divorce, alimony and polygamy. “The BJP brought it only for politics. It’s not democratic to intervene in the personal issues of people. And how can a law excluding the tribals be called uniform?” Choudhury asked in the Assembly.