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.
IUML MP Abdul Wahab gives adjournment motion notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss the proposal cleared by Union Cabinet that raises the minimum age of marriage of women from 18 to 20 years.
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2021
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.”
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.
