New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a significant escalation in the state’s fight against child marriage, revealing that 416 people have been arrested in a massive crackdown. This latest operation is the third phase of a major crackdown against child marriage in Assam.
The crackdown, launched on the night of December 21-22, resulted in the registration of 335 cases. All those arrested are scheduled to be produced in court. Sarma, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), declared the state’s continued commitment to combating child marriage, highlighting the substantial number of arrests and cases filed as a demonstration of this resolve.
“Assam continues its fight against child marriage. In Phase 3 operations launched on the night of Dec 21-22, 416 arrests were made and 335 cases registered. The arrested individuals will be produced in court today. We will continue to take bold steps to end this social evil,” the chief minister posted on X.
This recent operation builds upon two previous phases of the anti-child marriage drive, carried out in February and October 2023. The first phase saw a staggering 3,483 arrests and the registration of 4,515 cases, while the second resulted in 915 arrests and 710 cases.
Earlier this year, Sarma faced criticism for his government’s decision to repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act of 1935 instead of amending it to specifically prohibit child marriages. He defended this decision, asserting that he would not tolerate child marriages in Assam under his leadership. He directly challenged critics, particularly those from the opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and the Congress, who advocated for amending the existing law rather than repealing it.
“No one would be allowed to play with the lives of Muslim boys and girls. I am politically challenging that before 2026, I will stop this. Isn’t the Congress ashamed that the party is standing in favour of getting 6–8-year-old boys and girls married,” Sarma had said.
He challenged the opposition parties, questioning their stance on permitting the marriage of young children. The AIUDF and Congress, however, advocated for an amendment to the law to prevent its misuse in the context of child marriages rather than a complete repeal.
