Assam Assembly to discontinue break for offering Friday Namaz

GUWAHATI — The Assam Assembly on Friday decided to end a British-era rule of giving a break for offering Friday Namaz.

From now on, there will be no break on Friday for Namaz prayers for Muslim MLAs.

Biswajit Phukan, a BJP MLA from Sarupathar Assembly segment 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 between 12 P.M. an 2 P.M. in which Muslim legislators would 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.

 “Everybody has voiced support for this decision. It has been studied that Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Assembly houses in other states 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 rule,” Phukan stated.

According to him, the Assam Assembly starts at 9.30 A.M. from Monday to Thursday and on Friday, it begins at 9 A.M. to give the two-hour break for Namaz. However, since this has been changed, from now on the Assembly will begin its operation at 9.30 A.M. every day.

Notably, Assam has ended another pre-Independence rule.

The Assam Assembly on Thursday passed 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, aiming 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.

Speaking at a discussion on this Bill, CM Sarma said, “The highest Muslim population states in India are Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir. There was already a law to register Muslim marriages. In Kerala, this Act must have been brought either by the Congress or the Left government as the BJP was never in power in this southern state.”

He also expressed concern about Muslim women and asserted that the Muslim marriage registration Act will give them safety and security.