Many migrant labourers performing child marriages in Vizianagaram …
Many migrant labourers in different parts of the country are mostly performing marriages for girls even before they attain 18 years, stipulated age limit set by the government for marriages, according to the studies conducted by the government as well as non-governmental organisations. According to sources, around 300 child marriages have been taking place in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts every year. The migrant labourers want to fulfil their responsibility with the fear of little security for grown up girls in villages.
A non-governmental organisation Rural Welfare Development Society Director Ooha Mahanthi has done a detailed study on child marriages issue in Gajapathinagaram, Dattirajeru and other places of Vizianagaram district. She said that the parents were discreetly performing marriages in a simple manner in temples of other areas to prevent the attention of locals and representatives of government organisations such as Integrated Child Development Services. "Child marriages lead to early pregnancy which causes health problems and threat to lives of both mother and kid at the time of delivery.
The teen-aged girls cannot handle family responsibilities at a young age. We are explaining these two important issues in awareness camps conducted for villagers in Dattirajeru, Bondapalli, Gajapathinagaram and other places. We hope, the number of child marriages would come down in the district," said Ms.
Mahanthi, an advocate. The State government is currently maintaining the data of only stopped marriages. As per the data of Integrated Child Development Society (ICDS), as many as 135 marriages were stopped by the child welfare committees in the last two years in Srikakulam district.
The committees could stop 28 marriages in the year-2021-22 and 110 in 2022-23 in Vizianagaram district. "We are forming child welfare committees with anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and representatives of non-governmental organisations. The committees inform us about the possibility of such marriages. Immediately, we meet the parents and counsel them explaining the social and health problems with child marriages," said B.
Santa Kumari, ICDS Project Director of Vizianagaram district.
Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Kesali Apparao said that the commission directed the police and other officials concerned to book cases on the parents and guests also under the provisions of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act-2006.
He said that awareness programmes would be conducted in all 26 districts by involving stakeholders to prevent child marriages which are mostly performed in summer season with the return of migrant parents to their native places.
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