Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Nov 2: In the last five years, the highest number of child marriages in the country has taken place in Karnataka. This alarming fact has been revealed by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS5) and the statistics provided by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
What is even more alarming is that 12 cases of child marriages have been registered from April to August 2023 in Belagavi, the hometown of State Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar.
The Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2006 was enacted with the aim of making India free from child marriages by 2030. Despite this, as many as 3,524 child marriages took place in the country between 2018 and 2022.
There is a proposal before the Standing Committee of the Parliament to increase the age for marriage of women to 21 years from the present 18 years. However, child marriage is still prevalent.
Child marriages in Karnataka
During the last five years, 706 child marriages were reported in Karnataka, 554 in Assam, 414 in Tamil Nadu, 390 in West Bengal, 185 in Maharashtra.
Causes
Poverty, lack of education, superstitions and misconceptions are seen as causes for child marriages.
Rising cases of child marriages in India
Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar have reported rise in the number of child marriages.
However, the number of child marriages is the lowest in Udupi district in Karnataka. No cases of child marriages were reported between 2018 and 2022. But, one case of child marriage took place in Shirur in 2023 and a police case was registered and four child marriages were prevented.
It is necessary to create awareness among the people and emphasise on the education and financial self-sufficiency of girls. A proposal to raise the marriageable age of girls from 18 to 21 is before the Centre.
Child marriage should be monitored by grama panchayats and the government should stop extending facilities to such families and also impose severe punishment for child marriage crimes.
Reduction in child marriage cases since 2011
The number of child marriages has considerably reduced going by the 2011 census.
According to the 2011 census, 1.53 crore girls have got married before they turned 18 years in the country. As much as 40% of women in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh got married before the age of 18.
Although marriages are taking place, such cases have not reached the police station in many states of North India, including Uttar Pradesh.
Shyamala Kunder, a former member of the National Commission for Women, says that the rate of child marriage is 10 per cent higher than the national average of 47 per cent in 2006 and has fallen to 23.3 per cent in 2022.