HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Thursday that his government is open to discussing the proposal for a separate Barak land if the people of the valley desire it.
“If the people of Barak Valley want a separate Barak land, we will not oppose. Why should we oppose it? That is a decision to be taken in the Barak Valley. We cannot say anything.
“I as a chief minister want to live together. If somebody wants to live separately, then first he has to take consent from the people of the valley,” Sarma told reporters in Silchar.
He said if the people of the valley collectively demand a separate Barak land, the government will discuss the matter.
“If the people of Barak Valley want to be separated, we will not get in the way. That is not our job…,” Sarma said.
In addition to this statement, chief minister Sarma has also asserted that by December 2023 the state will witness the end of polygamy.
While interacting with the media in Silchar, CM Sarma said, “The draft is under preparation and by December Assam will see the end of polygamy and another round of arrest the state will see after September 15 on child marriages.”
Further, the chief minister claimed that the state is not following the UCC as of now, however, the state is only after polygamy and child marriage.
The Assam government is likely to introduce a bill in the state assembly in December to ban polygamy as chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced it will be finalised in the next 45 days.
Sarma said the state government has received as many as 149 suggestions in response to a public notice seeking feedback from the state on the proposed law to ban the practice of marrying multiple spouses.
Speaking on the delimitation process, Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that apart from a few left-minded people no one is against the ECI’s decision and said that in the next assembly onwards there will be many legislators from the ruling party coming out from the Barak valley. (With inputs from PTI)
