In a landmark decision, the Assam Cabinet approved a bill to ban polygamy, the practice of having more than one wife. As per the bill, any person convicted under the proposed law will face up to seven years of imprisonment.
The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, will be tabled in the Assembly on November 25, BJP leaders told the media.
“Under this bill, polygamy is prohibited in respect of a person who shall not marry if he has a living spouse or is not legally separated from the other spouse by following due procedure of law or is a party to a marriage that is not yet dissolved or annulled by a decree of divorce. The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, further seeks to provide compensation to victimised women as they suffer immense pain and hardship due to polygamous marriages,” Sarma told reporters on Sunday.
If the bill is approved by the Assembly, Assam will join Uttarakhand in banning polygamy. Uttarakhand was the first state to ban polygamy last year.
Exceptions
The bill includes certain exemptions. The draft legislation excludes Scheduled Tribe communities and will not immediately apply to areas under the Bodoland Territorial Council, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, and the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, which come under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Sixth Schedule protects land and limited autonomy to citizens in designated tribal-dominated regions. These councils collectively cover eight out of Assam’s thirty-five districts.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that Muslims residing in Sixth Schedule areas before 2005 will also be exempted from the law. He further announced that the state government will create a fund to compensate victims of polygamy. “The government will provide financial assistance in necessary cases to ensure that no woman faces hardship,” a news agency quoted him as saying.
Polygamy remains legal in Algeria, the UAE, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.