Times
of India: THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Friday, 13 March 2015.
After the
local self-government department issued the controversial circular permitting
registration of underage marriages, the state has witnessed the registration of
as many as 2,578 such weddings.
The
department had permitted registration of underage marriages of males aged below
21 and females between the ages of 16-18 years belonging to the Muslim
community. However, of the total number of registrations done during 2013-14,
while 2,497 were those by Muslims, 69 were by Hindus and two by Christians.
The figures
were revealed in RTI replies given to Suseela Gopalan Patana Kendram (SGPK),
the legal wing of All India Democratic Women's Association. The LSG department
had issued the circular in July 16, 2013, permitting registration of marriage
of girls aged above 16. However, after it became a controversy, the department
issued a fresh circular which directed local bodies to register marriages that
had been solemnized till July 2013.
Among the
districts, Malappuram topped the list with 908 registrations. This was followed
by Palakkad and Kannur with 574 and 292 registrations, respectively. Idukki
recorded the lowest number with 6 registrations of child marriages.
KK Shylaja,
CPM leader and president of SGPK, said that out of 1,043 local self-government
institutions, only 860 responded to the RTI query. Also, SGPK believes that the
number of child marriages in tribal areas may not have been recorded properly.
"So we feel that the actual number will be higher than this. As a follow
up, we are planning to conduct a study among these couples who had married
underage, the physical and mental health of these women, their educational
status and so on," she said.
SGPK posted
around 6 questions to all LSGs. Most LSGs responded only to the question
regarding the number of child marriages registered. Other questions such as
record of child marriages that took place in the last one year, legal action
taken in such cases and so on were either given a negative reply or ignored.
"When
the circular became a controversy the government, in a face saving move, asked
the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to report cases of child
marriages. Though ICDS volunteers reported such cases, the government did not
take any action. We are going to file a report on our findings to the state
government and will demand action on the issue," Shylaja said.
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