Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been vocal about his concerns regarding 'love jihad' and its impact on society. He believes that 'love jihad' must be stopped because it creates tensions between communities. During a convention of police superintendents in the state, he discussed ways to widen investigations into cases of 'love jihad' and asked the police to develop a standard operating procedure for probing such cases.
Sarma pointed out that in many 'love jihad' cases, girls are forcibly taken away and blackmailed with compromising videos. He emphasized the need to determine if girls are being forcibly converted to another religion and getting married under duress. He clarified that a Muslim cleric (qazi) cannot register a Hindu-Muslim marriage, and similarly, a Hindu priest cannot do it legally. He suggested that if individuals from different religions want to marry, they should do it under the Special Marriage Act without converting.
The Assam Chief Minister also appealed to parents to guide their children so that situations like 'love jihad' can be prevented. He acknowledged the cultural differences between Hindu and Muslim communities, stating that girls from either community might find it difficult to adjust after an inter-faith marriage.
Regarding child marriages, Sarma announced a second round of crackdown to be launched in September. He expressed his commitment to comprehensively banning both child marriage and polygamy in the state. A four-member committee headed by Justice (Retd) Rumi Phukan is examining the legislative competence of the state legislature to enact a law to end polygamy, and the report is expected within 15 days.
Sarma claimed that crime against women and children in the state has declined remarkably and will be evident in the upcoming data from the National Crime Record Bureau. In summary, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is focused on addressing issues related to 'love jihad', child marriage, and polygamy in the state of Assam. He aims to create peaceful co-existence among communities and ensure the safety and well-being of women and children.
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