Many protesters view the legislation as an attempt to interfere with matters that are deeply connected to their faith and identity
GUWAHATI — Claiming that the recently enacted Uniform Civil Code (UCC) unfairly targets the Muslim community and interferes with their religious practices, hundreds of people gathered in Assam’s Cachar district on Friday to protest against the law peacefully.
The protest took place in Berenga after Friday congregational prayers, where a large number of residents assembled outside a local mosque and raised slogans demanding that the legislation be withdrawn.
The participants expressed concern over the impact of the new law, arguing that it infringes upon religious freedoms and seeks to alter long-standing personal laws followed by the Muslim community. Many protesters said they viewed the legislation as an attempt to interfere with matters that are deeply connected to their faith and identity.
Former MLA Ataur Rahman Mazarbhuiya, who addressed the gathering, criticised the Uniform Civil Code and accused the government of introducing a measure that threatens both religious liberty and Assam’s diverse social fabric.
Speaking to reporters, Mazarbhuiya said that the law disproportionately affects Muslims and appears to focus on Islamic personal laws. He questioned the logic behind the legislation, saying it creates the impression that existing Muslim personal laws are somehow inadequate, a perception that has caused anxiety among many community members.
He also questioned the exemption granted to Scheduled Tribes under the law, asking how a uniform legal framework could claim to ensure equality while excluding certain communities from its ambit.
“If some communities are exempted, then how can there be equality?” he asked.
The former legislator further weighed in on the issue of polygamy, a subject frequently raised during debates around the UCC. He claimed that tribal communities recorded the highest incidence of polygamy in the country and argued that Muslims had fewer such cases than Hindus. Mazarbhuiya cited data from an organisation he referred to as the “Indian Social Society,” although no publicly verifiable report by that name could be independently traced.
Available data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), however, shows that the prevalence of polygamy stands at 2.1 per cent among Christians, 1.9 per cent among Muslims, and 1.3 per cent among Hindus. The survey also indicates comparatively higher rates of polygamy among Scheduled Tribe populations in several regions of the country.
During the protest, people voiced concerns that the implementation of the UCC could weaken protections for religious and cultural traditions that have been followed for generations. They urged the government to reconsider the law and engage with affected communities before moving ahead with its implementation.
