Assam CM lambasts polygamy, pitches for justice to Muslim women

Sarma slams AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal for asking Hindus to follow Muslims and get their children married at a young age so as to produce more children

Guwahati, Dec 09: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has hit out at the practice of polygamy in the society, particularly in some communities as part of their religious tradition. Addressing a public meeting in Morigaon, he said that the system of men marrying three-four women needs to be changed in order to give justice to Muslim women.

The Assam chief minister said, "There cannot be any right to a man living in independent India to marry three-four women (without giving divorce to the previous spouse) and we will have to change such a system. We will have to try to give justice to Muslim women. If Muslim girls were asked to wear the Hijab, why not the boys also use the same thing? Muslim girls can't study in school and Muslim men will marry 2-3 women, we are against this system," according to a media report.

Sarma said many Assam MLAs want Pomua Muslims to vote but are unwilling to make meaningful ideas. "But we don't want their votes and we want to give good suggestions from a neutral position that, don't make your children Junabs or Imams, (rather) do make your children doctors, engineers and make them better human beings," Sarma said.

The Chief Minister further said that his government is trying to take the 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikash' vision forward. "We don't want that the students of Pomua Muslim to become Junab, Imam by studying in Madrasas. We want them to study in schools, colleges and study in Morigaon Medical College so that they can become doctors, engineers," he said.

Slamming All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal, Sarma said there are some leaders in Assam like Ajmal who say women must give birth to children as soon as possible. "A woman's childbirth process cannot be compared with a field. I have repeatedly said that, our women can give birth to 20-25 children, but Ajmal will have to bear their food, clothes, education and all other expenses and then, we don't have any problem. If Ajmal wouldn't pay expenses, then nobody has the right to lecture on childbirth. We will give birth to only those many children whom we can provide food to and to make them better human beings," Sarma added.

It is to be recalled that Ajmal recently said that Hindus should follow the Muslims and get their children married at a young age to produce more children. Ajmal said, "They (Hindus) should also adopt the formula of Muslims and get their children married at a young age, get the boys married at the age of 20-22, get the girls married at 18-20 years and then see how many children are born..."

Chief Minister Sarma also expressed concern over the Al-Qaeda activities in the Madrasa of Morigaon and said that the town can't be allowed to be the base of Al-Qaeda. "Morigaon had made a new history in the freedom movement of the country. Tilak Deka, Hemaram Pator, Gunabhiram Bordoloi - son of the soil of Morigaon, had sacrificed their lives for the country. We can't allow the Morigaon district to become a base of Al-Qaeda," Sarma said.

(With input from ANI)