SATISH HANDA
As per recent notification Haryana state government in view of increasing cases of child marriages reported in the state in past years recorded on an average one marriage every day has taken decision modifying Child Marriage Act 2020 in which sex relationship between couples after a child marriage would be considered a rape case as per law subject to two years imprisonment and fine up to Rs 1 lakh. Kamlesh Dhanda State Minister for Women & Child Development announced approval of revised notification in Vidhan Sabha to stop such illegal practice in the state and told action has been taken on the recommendation of Supreme Court of India in a recent decision in Karnatka Vidhan Sabha in existing Child Marriage Act 2006 and sub-section 1-A in which sex relationship between a male and female of age group 15-18 considered illegal as a rape as per child marriage Act. Dhanda said Haryana state government has made necessary amendment in section 2006 to curb increasing cases of child marriages in the state.
According to information collected in nine districts in Haryana state: Panipat, Sonepat, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Panchkula, Gurugram, Jhajjer, Fatehabad and Sirsa as many as 749 child marriages were stopped by Women & Child Development Department in the state through counselling with the help of police force between the year 2000 to 2018 and cases were registered against their parents. Information collected from these nine districts further reveals, maximum number of 299 child marriages were reported in Sirsa district ranking at the top and action was taken, followed by264 cases reported in Fatehabad district and Panipat district was identified ranking third position in nine districts.
Information reveals, out of total number of 749 child marriages, 189 cases of child marriage were stopped on court orders and as many as 106 child marriages took place prior to an action and cases were registered against the parents as per law. Information further reveals, Haryana state witnessed drastic increase in child marriages since after year 2014 recording 246 complaints received in year 2014-15, of them 119 marriages were stopped the administration. Similarly, 315 child marriage complaints were received in the year 2015-16, of them 182 child marriages were stopped. In the year 2016-17 Women and Child Development Department received complaints of 362 child marriages, of them 230 marriages were stopped by the department with police assistance. During the years 2017-18, 2018-19, 1019-20 (till date) state police registered FIRs in 78 cases.
A study reveals that prime reasons for increasing child marriages were identified as poverty in most of the cases mostly in rural areas, lack of education in families, lack of awareness among people about harms in case of a child marriage, conflict between parents, insecurity, doubtful character of girl and sometime joint marriage of two sisters in the family.
