Spread awareness rather than banning polygamy: Badruddin Ajmal

Guwahati: AIUDF chief and Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal on Tuesday said that the Assam government should spread awareness against marrying more than once rather than imposing a legal ban on polygamy. He emphasised that polygamy is not 'compulsory' in Islam and questioned what the state government has done for the welfare of Muslim women.

The Assam government has initiated a process for enacting a legislation to ban polygamy and had issued a notification on Monday seeking public opinion on the proposed law.

It had earlier formed an expert committee to study the legislative competence of the Assembly to enact such a law, and the report stated that the state legislature is competent to enact a law to ban the marital practice.

"Polygamy is not compulsory in Islam. The government has not given a person enough to feed one wife, how can he marry and take care of four wives?" Ajmal said, talking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of heads of different religions on 'Peace and Justice'.

While stating that he is against polygamy, Ajmal expressed apprehension that the decision to ban it will go along political lines.

Mentioning of abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, Ajmal said, "Did peace come to Kashmir? Soldiers are being killed every day. What the families of these soldiers get is so unfortunate that it’s best not to speak of it." "You (government) stopped 'triple talak' but what did you do for women's welfare? Did you build schools and colleges or develop industries where women will get jobs?" he questioned.

"Nothing was done except that fun of Muslim women was made in front of the world for some days. These women are now starving, dying by suicide. But the government doesn't see them, nobody is bothered about them," the Dhubri MP claimed.

He maintained that the proposed ban on polygamy is another attempt at 'making fun' and if some 'illiterate person' tries to marry more than once, he should be made to understand against doing it.

"There are so many laws since Independence. A law can hardly help," he added.

On the 'Peace and Justice' programme, Ajmal said it will be held across the country to take 'mohabbat ka paigam' (message of peace) to the people.

"When we have reached the skies, people are still not getting justice. People of one community are being tortured, beaten up, and their women raped.

"The government is silent and not taking any action. Hence, heads of different religions decided to hold these programmes across the country and spread the message of peace," the AIUDF chief added.