Assam set ball rolling to implement UCC, bill to ban polygamy to be tabled in Assembly session

The Assam government has drafted the peace agreement to be signed with pro-talk action of Ulfa which is likely to be signed by the end of this month or the first half of January. Report ETV Bharat’s Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi: After Uttarakhand, the state of Assam has set the ball rolling for the implementation of the much-awaited Uniform Civil Code (UCC). While talking to ETV Bharat Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made his stand clear over the UCC in the state, saying his government will ban polygamy in the State. The Chief Minister was on a five-day visit to the national capital.

"From February 4 we will be having an Assembly session where we will put the bill on polygamy. Once the polygamy bill is passed, the process of implementing UCC will come on track, " said Himanta Biswa Sarma. Although UCC is a matter that needs the approval of Parliament, States can also take a call with the President’s assent.

It is worth mentioning that following the preparation of a final draft, the Uttarakhand government has called for a special Assembly session in January to pass the bill to ban polygamy.

Sarma said that a peace agreement with the pro-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa-Independent) will be signed by the end of this month or the first half of January. "We have drafted the agreement which just needs a final touch. We are expecting that the agreement will be signed by this month's end or first part of January," said Sarma. Stating that the issue of providing constitutional safeguards was raised by the pro-talk faction of Ulfa, Sarma said.

Following its split, the pro-talk faction led by Aurobindo Rajkhowa joined peace talks on September 3, 2011. The outfit primarily demanded 88 per cent seat reservation for the indigenous people in all levels of elections. The Chief Minister is hopeful that the signing of the peace agreement with the pro-talk faction will make the ball rolling for a talk with Ulfa-Independent.

Sarma also appealed to Ulfa-I chairman Paresh Barua to shun the path of violence. "Paresh Barua should understand. This kind of situation will derail the peace process," he said. Sarma was referring to the bomb blasts that took place in Jorhat on Thursday night. “Some Ulfa youths entered Assam with grenades. Some surrender and some get involved with such kinds of activities,” said Sarma while quoting the Intelligence report. The Paresh Barua faction of Ulfa-I on Friday claimed responsibility for the Jorhat grenade blast.

A day after the grenade blast Sazrma held a talk with Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Tapan Deka, NIA director general Dinkar Gupta, and advisor for Northeast in the Home Ministry AK Mishra called on Sarma at the Assam House in Delhi. The Rohingya as a major security threat to the country. The Chief Minister said that he took briefs from the NIA DG about the influx of Rohingya refugees entering Assam and Tripura.

"NIA earlier raided several places in Assam and Northeast over the influx issue. Today, the NIA DG briefed me on the issue," Sarma informed. During his Delhi visit, Sarma met President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi, and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as well. "I have invited the President and Prime Minister to visit Assam," said Sarma.

The Chief Minister during his meeting with Murmu invited her to the State to inaugurate Karbi Festival scheduled to take place in January. Sarma has also invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Assam to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for several developmental projects in the State.