On Friday (December 17), the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) submitted an adjournment notice in the parliament after the Union Cabinet gave a nod to increasing the minimum marriageable age of women from 18 years to 21 years.

Mathrubhumi reported that IUML had dubbed the move as an attempt to bring about Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. The Islamist party also claimed that it would affect society in the future. The Indian Union Muslim League leaders also stated that the move to increase women’s legal marriageable age to 21 years was against the Muslim personal law.

The adjournment motion was moved by IUML MPs Abdul Wahab, ET Muhammad Basheer and Abdussamad Samadani. They informed that a future course of action will be taken after consulting parties with similar ideologies.

While speaking about the matter, Basheer remarked, “IUML opposes the government’s move which aims to unify the legal age of marriage. Muslim personal law clearly describes marriage, divorce and the right to property. All these matters belong to our faith. The central government is trying to intrude into our constitutional rights.”

Slamming the Centre for increasing the legal marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years, Muslim cleric Sufiyan Nizami demanded the reason for the move. In a video message, Nizami said that if this is done to prevent child marriage, then Muslims have never followed such a tradition. In a significant step towards women empowerment, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday passed a proposal to raise the legal marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years, the same as men. 

"In other communities, there have been several complaints of child marriage but Muslims don't follow it. What is the reason behind the increased marriage age? We will not welcome this action until proper reason is known. We should accept and execute the existing laws," added Sufiyan Nizami. 

Wisdom Islamic Organisation opposes the Centre's decision 

In a statement issued on Thursday, Wisdom Islamic Organisation, a Salafi group in Kerala said the decision will have far-reaching consequences in the country where communities live in different social situations. Its state general secretary T K Ashraf also asked for the reason behind the decision. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MPs have also moved an adjournment motion in the parliament against the action. The Muslim League leaders alleged that the decision to raise the age is a planned move to implement the uniform civil code in the country. 

Samajwadi Party leader Shafiqur Rahman Barq takes U-turn after backlash

Samajwadi Party leader Shafiqur Rahman Barq came up with a bizarre remark saying that the decision to raise the marriageable age of girls to 21 years would give the girl’s an excuse to do ‘awargi’ (to indulge in reckless, immoral behaviour).

“I don’t think this is the right step. Increasing the minimum marriageable age of women will deteriorate the situation. 18 years was perfect and the age bar was existent for a long time. Now, it will provide more scope for recklessness (awargi)”, Shafiqur Rahman Barq was heard as saying.

Later, in an interview with ANI, he claimed, “India a poor country and everybody wants to marry off their daughter at an early age. If it comes to education the girl continues her education after marriage also…I will not support this Bill in Parliament,” said the SP leader.

After receiving severe backlash for his bizarre ‘awargi’ remark, the SP leader backtracked by saying: “I didn’t use the word “awargi”. My statement was misquoted. I said that situation is not conducive.”

‘Girls should be married when they attain the age of fertility, even if 16’: Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan

Interestingly, Shafiqur Rahman Barq is not the only Samajwadi Party leader who had raised objections to the central government’s decision to raise the legal age of marriage of women. In fact, Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan went a step ahead and opined that girls should be married when they attain the age of fertility, even if it is at the tender age of sixteen.

“Girls should be married when they attain the age of fertility. There is nothing wrong if a mature girl is married at 16. If she can vote at age of 18, why can’t she marry?” said the SP MP ST Hasan.

Union Cabinet raises minimum marriageable age of women, personal laws to be amdended

On December 15, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to raise the legal age of marriage of women from 18 years to 21 years. During the Independence Day address in August 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the same and said the Government was planning to amend the law for the same. He again pointed out the same in an address to the people of the nation in October 2020 and said the government would soon take a decision over it. Once the law is amended, the legal marriageable age for both men and women would become the same, i.e. 21 years.

The speculation was that the Muslim personal law would give the community the right to marry their girls at 15, and Hindus would follow the law, thereby affecting the fertility rate and affecting the demographic equations further. OpIndia reached out to sources in the know to get clarity on the issue. Government sources have clarified that all personal laws would also be amended to increase the marital age of women to 21.

References:

opindia.com - OpIndia Staff