The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is moving to heavily regulate or completely ban live-in relationships between unmarried couples as part of a proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill set to be introduced in the newly formed Assembly on May 26.

Concerns over personal liberty

This proposal has sparked significant concern and upset young, urban Assamese residents, particularly in Guwahati, who view it as an infringement on their personal liberty.

There is no doubt that the Northeast is undergoing a profound transformation. It enjoyed a unique egalitarian culture with less rigid social hierarchies than what is prevalent across North India. This identity has been altered by the rise of the BJP, resulting in its rapid political integration into the more right-wing, neoliberal capitalist governance model, forcing it to move away from a more liberal, left-wing mould.

The UCC has already been passed by the states of Uttarakhand and Gujarat. A prototype of this Bill was prepared by Justice Ranjana Desai (retd) and a five-member team for the state of Uttarakhand, which was the first state to pass it on February 7, 2024. Gujarat followed suit on March 25, 2026.

Registration clause sparks opposition

While the overall objective of this controversial Bill is clearly political, as it deprives minorities of their personal laws and replaces these with a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, and succession, the clause that has young people most alarmed is the one about live-in relationships.

The Bill mandates........

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