Assam Relaxes Population Control Policies for Tribal Communities While Preparing Anti-Polygamy Legislation

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma indicated on Thursday that the state government is preparing to introduce new legislation targeting polygamy and what is referred to as "love jihad" in the forthcoming assembly session.

Following a cabinet meeting in Guwahati, Sarma informed reporters that the government has made the decision to ease the state's population control policy specifically for certain tribal and smaller community groups.

"We are implementing relaxations to the norms. For tribal people, tea garden communities, and the Moran and Motok communities, which are micro communities, our concern is that restricting their population could lead to their disappearance within 50 years," the chief minister explained.

He noted that the government consulted with social scientists before determining that the strict population control measures needed to be modified for these vulnerable groups.

Regarding the proposed anti-polygamy and "love jihad" bills, Sarma clarified that while they were not discussed during Thursday's cabinet meeting, the government remains committed to introducing them in the upcoming assembly session.

"These matters were not on today's agenda, but we are certainly proceeding with the preparation of these bills. The assembly session commences on November 25, and we have four or five cabinet meetings scheduled before then. All commitments made to Assam's citizens will be fulfilled," Sarma stated.

In response to the upcoming legislation, AIUDF general secretary and MLA Rafikul Islam commented, "Love and jihad represent distinct concepts. If the proposed law or bill adheres to constitutional principles, we would support it. We will evaluate the details once it is presented in the assembly."