Guwahati: Days after his controversial remarks that BJP doesn’t need the votes of “Miya”---Muslims living in riverine (sandbar) areas of Assam for next 10 years, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Tuesday said that Assam police have arrested more than 1000 men in fresh crackdown against the child marriage in the state.
Soon after launching the crackdown against child marriage, the Assam government on Tuesday also announced that it will conduct a socio-economic survey of the state’s five indigenous Muslim communities so that measures can be taken for their upliftment.
Informing that police have arrested at least 1039 men either on charges of marrying girls below the permissible age by law or encouraging or solemnizing child marriages, chief minister said that it was the second such crackdown launched by the Assam police this year.
The first drive against child marriage was conducted when around 3,000 people out of around 8,000 people named in 4,000 FIRs in February were arrested.
Indicating that number of arrests is likely to rise, he said that police have launched this drive afresh on Tuesday across the state.
In February this year, Assam had launched first crackdown against child marriage and arrested nearly 4,000 persons. Several kazis (priests who solemnize marriage) were also arrested as part of the drive.
Assam chief minister had made it clear that similar drive would continue till child marriage is eliminated as it has been found to be the biggest reason for a high rate of maternal mortality and infant mortality in the state.
“In a meeting held at Janata Bhawan, HCM Dr @himantabiswa directed the officials concerned to carry out a socio-economic assessment of Assam’s Indigenous Muslim communities (Goria, Moria, Deshi, Syed & Jolha),” the chief minister’s office (CMO) posted on X.
The findings of the assessment will guide the state government to take suitable measures, aimed at comprehensive socio-political and educational upliftment of the indigenous minorities, it said.
