By Manoj Kumar Ojha
GUWAHATI: Believe me! The marriage of any Draupadi in Bharatiya Janata Party ruled Assam with five bride grooms would be illegal now .
Keeping four wives by a follower of Islam would also be illegal if the government here bans polygamy. It doesn’t matter for the government what the holy epics of different religions say about polygamy and in what circumstances polygamy becomes the best affair to save humanity.
For the government; the rapidly growing population of minorities in Assam is matter of deep concern as it prevents it to rule over the state in coming years possibly.
But remarkably the noted intellectuals and women of Assam say that it is not the polygamy but the women empowerment can strengthen the females of the state.
“The modesty of Draupadi was at stake on the royal court and the five husbands could not save her . Lord Krishna came to save her . It is not the husbands but proper education, employment, financial assistance, better laws ,liberty and freedom and power that can empower a woman,” Mishti Goswami, an advocate told Our India.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday told media that his government wants to take up one of the segments of Uniform Civil Code ( UCC ) and ban polygamy in the state by tabling a bill in the assembly.
In May this year, the government set up a four member expert committee to examine if polygamy can be banned in the state through a state law. The committee headed by retired high court judge Rumi Phookan has been given the task .
UCC refers to a common set of laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian Citizens irrespective of religion, tribe or other local customs.