As many as eight child marriages were stopped by the district administration on Thursday. This was the highest number of child marriages stopped in a single day and en mess at one place in the district, said Collector T.P. Rajesh.
Mr. Rajesh told The Hindu that soon after receiving the message from a trust working for welfare of the children, District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) K. Uma Maheshwari, District Coordinator for Childline P.N. Prasanna Kumari and its member V.S.S. Jalal and Denkanikottai Tahsildhar K. Madheshwari and police officials were asked to visit the village Chikka Manju in Thotta Manju panchayat immediately. The officials reached the village around 11 p.m. on Wednesday night.
A volunteer from a private trust informed the collector that 13 child marriages would take place in Chikka Manju village in Thotta Manju panchayat between 7 and 9 a.m on Thursday.
The officials verified the documents provided by the parents and found that of the 13 child, only five girls were above 18 years and the boys were 25 years. The rest of the 8 girls were found below the age of 18. Hence, the parents’ of the girls were explained about the evils of performing child marriages and its ill effects. The girls and the parents were assembly at the Mariamman Temple in Chikka Manju village before taken to the Krishangiri collectorate. Of the rescued girls, one girl studied up to SSLC and others are illiterates.
The girl children and their parents whose marriages stopped were presented before the collector T.P. Rajesh in the afternoon.
Mr. Rajesh counselled the girls and parents not to perform child marriages, as it was against the law of the land. Child marriages would affect the health of the girl child and her future generations, he adds.
The district administration will admit the girl children at a private home for women after giving counselling by the family counsellors, Mr. Rajesh said.
All the children rescued are from Kurumbar community, it was a custom in the community to perform child marriages en mess at a common place on an auspicious day.
Sensitisation programme
The district administration would take proactive measures to prevent child marriages in the remote and hilly village in Denkanikottai taluk in future. Sensitisation programmes would also be organised to educate the illiterate and poor parents and the girl children to prevent child marriages, Mr. Rajesh said.
