India, March 14 -- The reported move of the government of Assam to repeal the state's 90-year-old Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act is, to say the least, ill-advised. The decision that marriages among Muslims should instead be registered under the Special Marriage Act 1954 smacks of ignorance about the nature and objects of this Act.

Marriages among Muslims are solemnised by a nikah ceremony conducted by a religious official called qazi (also spelt as kazi). The qazis prepare and issue to the parties a signed nikah-nama (marriage certificate) containing all relevant information about the marriage, parties thereto and mutually settled terms of marriage. They also prepare talaq-namas (divorce-deeds) as and when asked for by in...