GUWAHATI: Sikh marriages in Assam will be recognised under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909.
This was informed by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday (August 03).
This decision to recognise Sikh marriages under the Anand Marriage Act was taken by the Assam cabinet it its meeting on Wednesday (August 02).
“As a mark of recognition to the customs of Assam’s Sikh community, the cabinet has decided to formulate the Assam Anand Marriages Registration Rules 2023,” said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in a statement.
“Henceforth, the Sikh community can register their marriages under the Anand Marriage Act,” said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Assam CM said that this decision is ‘historic’ that “honours the unique traditions of over 20,000+ people of the Sikh community in Assam”.
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The Act seeks to give statutory recognition to a marriage rite of the sikhs called ‘Anand’. Thus, any marriage performed according to the ‘Anand’ ceremony is valid with effect from the date of its solemnisation.
It states: “All marriages which may be or may have been duly solemnised according to the Sikh Marriage ceremony called Anand shall be and shall be deemed to have been with effect from the date of the solemnization of each respectively, good and valid in law.”