The Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA), along with the Mahita Plan International, organised a meeting with religious and caste leaders, especially from the SCs and the STs, at the Forum for Child Rights here on Thursday to discourage the child and early marriages.
The meeting was attended by various caste leaders and purohits from Vijayawada. The religious leaders promised that they would not solemnise marriages below the legal age of 18 for girls and 21 for boys.
Mr. Gode Prasad, State coordinator, Mahita, said Krishna district topped in child marriages and felt it was not a good sign for a district playing an important role in sprucing up the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh.
“Most of the marriages are taking place without the consent of the girls. Child marriages have been reduced drastically but early marriages still taking place aplenty. Child marriages were reduced due to the implementation of the right to education up to Class X. But after Class X most girls are unable to go to higher studies as they were married off by their parents.”
“Religious leaders play an important role in the control of child marriages and compulsory registration of marriages,” said Vijay Kumar, District Child Protection Officer. He also spoke on the Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2006.
In the interaction with the religious and caste leaders, Mr. Kumar said it was the responsibility of the religious leaders to prevent child marriages irrespective of caste and religion.
He said the religious leaders had huge influence on the public and were capable of bringing change in the mindset of the common man and let the girl child pursue education.
Ms. Nagamma, Education Manager, Mahita, appealed to religious leaders to set up notice boards in their places discouraging child marriages and asked them to explain the adverse effects of families and society.
Several religious leaders felt the maternal relationships, dowry and the security of a girl in society were also playing an important role in the increasing number of child marriages.
Anil Kumar of the Dalith Bhajujan Resource Centre, and others took part.
