Independence Day 2026: Inside CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s 30-Day Crackdown on Child Marriage in Assam

Assam is preparing for another major crackdown on child marriage. Beginning November 1, Assam Police will launch an intensive 30-day statewide campaign targeting people involved in child marriages, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced during his Independence Day address in Guwahati on Saturday.

And Sarma put numbers behind the campaign. Over the past five years, he said, Assam has registered 12,196 child-marriage cases and arrested 11,099 people. “On this occasion, I have directed the Assam Police to launch an uncompromising campaign against Child Marriage from November 1 for the next 30 days,” Sarma said. But what will the new campaign involve? Why is Assam returning to the issue? And what else did the Chief Minister announce?

What exactly happens on November 1?

A fresh statewide police campaign begins. Sarma said Assam Police had been instructed to conduct an “uncompromising” drive against child marriage for 30 days from November 1, intensifying action against those involved in the practice and bringing offenders to justice. The announcement signals another concentrated enforcement phase rather than a change in the underlying law. Sarma presented the campaign as the continuation of a promise he made after becoming Chief Minister in 2021. “In 2021, I had announced by standing under this Tricolour that we will end Child Marriage in Assam,” he said.

How big has Assam’s crackdown been so far?

According to figures cited by Sarma, 12,196 cases have been registered over the past five years. The number of arrests: 11,099. The Chief Minister claimed the campaign has contributed to a significant reduction in child marriage and linked the government's efforts to rising enrolment of girls in colleges and universities. The fresh November drive suggests the government believes the problem is far from eliminated.

Why has Assam made child marriage such a big political issue?

Sarma has repeatedly placed child marriage at the intersection of women's rights, education and social reform, making police enforcement a prominent element of his government's campaign. Saturday's language left little ambiguity about the direction of policy. This isn't being framed as an awareness campaign. The police are going back in. And Sarma wants the next phase compressed into a highly visible 30-day window.

What did Sarma say about polygamy?

This was another eye-catching announcement. Sarma said a government employee found involved in polygamy could face a financial penalty after a complaint from his legal wife. “If any government employee is found to be involved in polygamy, then the state government will deduct 20 per cent of his salary and will provide it to his legal wife after her complaint,” he said. The ANI report does not spell out the proposed legal or administrative mechanism for implementing the measure, so that detail will need further clarification from the state government.

What is the ₹1.5 lakh crore Assam plan?

Sarma's speech wasn't solely about social policy. He also put a huge number against Assam's development ambitions: ₹1.5 lakh crore. The Chief Minister said the state plans to spend that amount on infrastructure between 2026 and 2031. Under the Viksit Assam 2047 initiative, ₹50,000 crore is expected to come from the state's own resources for roads, schools, urbanisation and rural development. Assam will seek another ₹1 lakh crore in capital investment from the Centre, taking the proposed five-year infrastructure push to ₹1.5 lakh crore.

And what does Sarma want from Assam’s youth?

Interestingly, he rejected the fashionable generational labels altogether. “Gen Z or Gen Alpha, I don't box our young generation through these labels,” Sarma said. “For me, they are our sons and daughters. They are our future.” The government will create a dedicated Youth Development and Empowerment Department, while Khel Maharan will be organised to identify sporting talent across Assam.

What else is coming?

There was a long list. Mission Sadbhavana 2 will begin on October 2 to clear pending government files and applications, while Mission Basundhara 4.0 is scheduled for December. Sarma also announced eight new co-districts and ₹100 crore for Cotton College as it completes 125 years. He additionally announced restrictions on land transactions in specified revenue circles, saying only people who have lived in an area for three generations would be permitted to buy and sell land there. The precise scope and legal framework of that proposal will require further details from the government. But amid a speech packed with roads, investment, land, youth and governance, Sarma clearly wanted one date to stand out: November 1. For 30 days from then, Assam Police will once again put child marriage firmly in its sights.

(With inputs from ANI)