Assam Assembly ends British-era practice of two-hours break for offering Friday Namaz

The speaker of Assam assembly announced that from now onward, there will be no break on Friday for Namaz prayers for Muslim legislators.

The BJP MLA from Sarupathar Biswajit Phukan said, “Since the British times in India, a break used to be given in the Assam Assembly on every Friday for offering Namaz. There was a break of two hours from 12 noon to 2 pm when Muslim legislators used to offer Namaz every Friday. But this rule has been changed from now on and there will be no break.”

He stated that the decision was taken at a meeting conducted by Speaker of Assam Assembly Biswajit Daimary and it was a unanimous one, supported by other legislators.

The BJP legislator claimed, “Every body has extended support for this decision. It has been studied that Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state Assembly do not have the provision of giving a break for offering Namaz. Hence the Speaker of Assam Assembly also decided to end this British-era practices.”

The Assam Assembly starts at 9.30 am from Monday to Thursday and on Friday, it begins at 9 am to give the two-hour break for Namaz. However, since this has been changed, from now onward the Assembly will begin its operation at 9.30 am every day. It is significant Assam has ended another pre-Independence rule by passing a Bill that would require compulsory registration of Muslim marriages and divorces with the government.

The Assembly passed the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, on Thursday in order to safeguard the rights of Muslim women and men and eliminate child marriages.

This legislation replaces the archaic Assam Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935.