Himanta Biswa Sarma: Assam Assembly has prioritised productivity and shed colonial baggage by ending Jumma break

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced today the abolition of the traditional two-hour Jumma break, seemingly in a way to usher more productivity in the Assam Assembly. The decision was taken unanimously by the Speaker, Biswajit Daimary, along with the legislators. The decision came as part of an overhaul of the practice brought in 1937 by Syed Saadulla of the Muslim League.

Chief Minister Sarma thanked Speaker Daimary and the members of the House and said that the abolition of the Jumma break marked the shedding of the colonial legacy that had clung to state legislative affairs for quite some time. He went on to say that the decision essentially demonstrates a wider resolve for productivity and modernization of the Assembly's functioning in general.

Earlier today, the Assam Legislative Assembly amended its rules and adopted a historic order by abolishing the age-old practice of adjourning the sessions on Fridays to offer Namaz. Traditionally, since 1946, the Assembly used to adjourn from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Friday of a week so that the Muslim members could offer their weekly prayers. The practice was instituted during the speakership of Syed Saadulla, under whose stewardship the House would adjourn to accommodate the Namaz before resuming its legislative work in the afternoon.

This tradition is now proposed to be discarded on the ground that it runs counter to the secular ethos of the Indian Constitution by Speaker Biswajit Daimary and opined in support of the continuous running of the Assembly without interruptions on Fridays. Daimary said, "The assembly should function without religious interruptions, and it is based upon the principles of equality and non-discrimination.".

The proposal was placed before the Rules Committee, headed by Daimary, which scrutinized and passed it unanimously. In an important vote, the adjournment rule was struck off by the Assembly.