Mood of Assam | Strong backing for Assam’s child marriage crackdown, Muslims concerned over political targeting

The Himanta Biswa Sarma government’s aggressive drive against child marriage and its move to ban polygamy have received overwhelming public support in Assam, according to the latest India Today–CVoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey conducted in January 2026. The findings, however, also reveal sharp community-wise differences, particularly on perceptions of political targeting.

The survey shows that 66.0 per cent of respondents across Assam believe the government’s steps are welcome and necessary for the welfare of women and children. This reflects broad public endorsement of the government’s framing of the crackdown as a social reform measure aimed at protecting minors and improving women’s rights.

Support is especially high among Hindu respondents, where 76.9 per cent back the measures. Among respondents categorised as “Others”, support is even stronger at 78.9 per cent, indicating near-consensus within these groups.

Among Muslim respondents, however, support drops sharply to 46.3 per cent — still a plurality, but significantly lower than in other communities. This divergence highlights the sensitivity of the issue within minority groups, particularly given the socio-religious dimensions linked to marriage practices and personal laws.

A significant minority of respondents believe that while the steps may be legally justified, they are politically motivated.

Across the state, 24.3 per cent said the steps are legally justified, but are intended to target Muslims politically. This perception is far more pronounced among Muslim respondents, where 45.9 per cent hold this view — nearly half of Muslim respondents.

By contrast, only 14.5 per cent of Hindu respondents and 15.5 per cent of respondents in the “Others” category share this concern. This gap points to a deep perception divide, with many Muslims viewing the crackdown through a political lens rather than purely as a social reform initiative.

Outright opposition to the steps is relatively low. Just 2.3 per cent of respondents across Assam said the steps are not necessary. This includes 1.4 per cent of Hindus and 3.6 per cent of Muslims, while there is virtually no opposition among the “Others” category (0.0 per cent).

This suggests that very few voters are willing to publicly reject the stated objective of curbing child marriage and regulating marital practices — even among communities that express concern about political targeting.

The undecided segment remains limited. 7.4 per cent of respondents said they don’t know or can’t say. This includes 7.3 per cent among Hindus, 4.2 per cent among Muslims, and 5.6 per cent among Others.

The relatively small undecided pool indicates that most voters have already formed clear opinions on the issue.

For Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the findings provide strong political validation for continuing a tough stance on social reform measures framed around women and child welfare. The overwhelming support among Hindu and Other communities strengthens the government’s claim that the move reflects public sentiment.

At the same time, the data underscores the political risk of deepening community alienation. Nearly half of Muslim respondents perceiving the drive as politically targeted could further sharpen minority distrust and intensify identity-based political mobilisation.

The January 2026 India Today–CVoter MOTN survey indicates that Assam’s crackdown on child marriage and the ban on polygamy enjoy broad public support, with two-thirds of respondents seeing the steps as necessary for protecting women and children. However, the sharp perception gap among Muslim respondents — many of whom view the move as politically motivated — highlights how social reform initiatives are being filtered through the prism of identity politics in Assam.

As with other high-profile governance moves, the long-term political impact will hinge not just on the intent of the policy, but on how equitably and sensitively it is enforced on the ground.