THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF government, which had through a circular in 2013 abused the very idea of a progressive society by sanctioning child marriages, has been humbled.
The late realisation of the enormity of the social issue, ironically triggered by the very 2013 circular, has forced it to launch the state’s first-ever statewide mission – a combination of awareness and punitive measures - to combat child marriage.
Significantly, the very department (Social Justice) that had issued the circular has now launched the fightback.
When the circular directing local bodies to register marriages of girls below the age of 18 was issued on June 14, 2013, the move was dubbed both outrageous and regressive. But the absurdity of the move was revealed to the government only in the days after the circular was issued.
In just about 10 days, local bodies across the state received nearly 51,000 applications for registration of marriages involving girls below 18 years. Most were from Malappuram and Palakkad districts.
“It was as if the mask of social enlightenment had fallen from the state’s face,” a top Social Justice official said.
Besides training and awareness for parents, children and teachers, child development protection officers (CDPOs) have been ordered to initiate strict penal proceedings against parents pushing girls below 18 years into marriage. CDPOs, who have been designated as child marriage prevention officers, will be trained to respond effectively in three situations: one, when a child marriage is about to take pace in a society; two, when a child marriage is taking place; and three, when a child marriage has already taken place.
Home minister Ramesh Chennithala conceded in the Assembly that the number of child marriages had risen.
On July 20, a division bench of the High Court had directed the government to furnish details of child marriages that had taken place in the state in the last five years.
“We have seen that child marriage will deprive a girl of education, compromise the emotional and physical health of the girl, and most importantly will deny her of a childhood,” said Meena C U, member of the State Commission for the protection of Child Rights.
