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TL;DR
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the end of the two-hour Friday namaz break in the Assam Legislative Assembly, effective August 30, 2024.
- The decision was made to enhance productivity and eliminate what Sarma described as a “colonial baggage” practice introduced in 1937 by Syed Saadulla.
- The Assembly’s revised schedule will now start at 9:30 am every day, including Fridays, without religious considerations.
- This move aligns with broader reforms, including the recent passage of a bill mandating government registration of Muslim marriages and divorces.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the cancellation of the two-hour namaz break on Fridays in the Assam Legislative Assembly. This decision, made public on August 30, 2024, marks the end of a long-standing provision that allowed Muslim lawmakers and staff members to take a break for Friday prayers, or namaz.
The practice, originally introduced by the Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937, has been described by Chief Minister Sarma as a “vestige of colonial baggage.” He expressed gratitude to Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary and the legislators for supporting this “historic decision.” In a statement, Sarma emphasized, “By doing away with the 2-hour Jumma break, Assam Assembly has prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage.”
The decision to scrap the namaz break was unanimously supported by all Assembly members, effectively ending the practice of a two-hour break from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Fridays. As a result, the Assembly’s schedule will now commence at 9:30 am every day, including Fridays, reflecting a shift towards a more streamlined legislative process.
This development comes in the wake of other legislative changes in Assam, including the recent passage of the Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024. This bill mandates the registration of Muslim marriages and divorces by a government registrar, replacing the traditional role of Qazis. The move aims to combat child marriage and ensure compliance with legal age requirements for marriage.
Chief Minister Sarma’s administration has been actively pursuing reforms that align with the government’s vision of modernizing legal and social practices in the state. The abolition of the Jumma break is seen as part of this broader effort to enhance efficiency and productivity within the Assam Legislative Assembly.
