Assam Legislative Assembly Abolishes Friday Namaz Adjournment, Marking a Historic Shift
Guwahati, August 30, 2024: In a landmark decision reflecting the secular principles of the Indian Constitution, the Assam Legislative Assembly has officially abolished the decades-old practice of adjourning sessions on Fridays to allow members to offer Namaz. This practice, which had been in place since the speakership of Sayed Sadullah, has been a significant aspect of the Assembly’s proceedings for years.
Traditionally, whenever the Assembly convened on a Friday, the session would be adjourned for two hours, allowing Muslim members time to perform their weekly prayers. The custom, introduced in 1937 by the Muslim League’s Syed Sadullah, reflected the religious accommodations of that period. However, this long-standing tradition has now been brought to an end under the leadership of Speaker Biswajit Daimary.
Speaker Daimary, who chaired the Rules Committee responsible for examining the proposal, advocated for the cessation of this practice to align with the principles of equality and non-discrimination. In his address to the Assembly, Daimary emphasized that legislative work should continue uninterrupted on Fridays, irrespective of religious practices, underscoring the need for secularism in the functioning of the Assembly.
The proposal was met with unanimous support from the Rules Committee, leading to a historic vote in the Assembly. As a result, the rules of procedure have been amended to remove the adjournment provision, ensuring that the Assembly operates consistently on Fridays without religious interruptions.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed the decision, expressing his support on the microblogging platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter). He remarked, “By doing away with the 2-hour Jumma break, @AssamAssembly has prioritized productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage. This practice was introduced by Muslim League’s Syed Sadullah in 1937. My gratitude to Hon’ble Speaker Shri @BiswajitDaimar5 dangoriya and our legislators for this historical decision.”
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By doing away with the 2 hour Jumma break, @AssamAssembly has prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 30, 2024
This practice was introduced by Muslim League’s Syed Saadulla in 1937.
My gratitude to Hon’ble Speaker Shri @BiswajitDaimar5 dangoriya and our…
