Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Stop child marriages) that was published in Newsband

Stop child marriages

 There is alarmingly high prevalence of child marriages in India. According to UNICEF, girl child marriages in India stood at 43 per cent in 2007-2008; it was 54 per cent in 1992-1993. A recent report of the United National Population Fund (UNPFA) also underlines the magnitude of the problem. Forty-seven per cent of women between the ages 20 to 24 were married before they turned 18 during the period 2000-2011, it stated. In 2006 alone, 11 States had 40 to 61 per cent of women in the 20-24 age group who were married by age 18. No wonder that India accounts for over 40 per cent of the world’s child marriages.

The spectre of child marriage manifests itself in multiple ways — the abrupt termination of education and life-threatening health problems. The teenage girls are less aware of contraceptives, very often do not have access to them and lack the bargaining power to use them. Thus they end up with unwanted pregnancies at a very early stage. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the prime cause of death in teenage mothers and their babies in low-and middle-income countries. Lack of education, rural settings and poor economic status are some of the key determinants of teenage wedlock.

The girls below 18 years from rural areas in India are twice more likely to be married than urban girls. Those with nil education are thrice more likely to become victims compared to those with secondary or higher education. Minor girls from the poorest families have a 75 per cent possibility of being married.

Providing education, creating awareness and offering incentives linked to delayed marriages are more important for the lower strata. Changing social perceptions should be the priority in the case of rich parents.

Until the central government takes a bold stance in getting rid of this curse of child marriages, without looking at political stakes and votes, there is no hope. With village mukhias, sarpanchs, khaps etc. controlling the daily life of poor villagers in many parts of India - particularly in North India where this practice is much more prevalent, the central government has to boldly step in to take on these powerful people. If laws have to be changed for this intervention, so be it. These powerful people are the key players who deliver votes to the vested politicians, and there in lies the reluctance of political parties and the government to break the curse.

Some Kap Panchayat memebers of Haryana have strongly suggested resort to that age-old practice as an effective measure to end the heinous crime of rape. Strangely, the state Chief Minister has also toed this line. Nothing else would be a worse wrong step because child marriages invariably necessitate the abrupt stoppage of the girls' education, besides paving the path for many health problems for them. Creating proper awareness about the ill effects of child marriage and enforcing the provisions of relevant Act, should be accorded top priority. If proper measures are not taken to curb child marriages, India will continue to be a backward country.