Mokokchung devises ways to combat child marriage

Ajit Kumar Verma, Vesupra Kezo, Dr. T Amongla along with stakeholders after the awareness programme on preventing child marriage Mokokchung on Friday.

• MOKOKCHUNG — In a collaborative effort to prevent child marriage and effectively implement the constitutional guarantee, the Mokokchung district administration and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) jointly organised an awareness programme at the conference hall of the deputy commissioner’s office on Friday.
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• The initiative was aimed at bridging the gap between societal norms and legal frameworks by emphasising mass awareness as a critical tool to eradicate the social evil of child marriage.
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• In his keynote address, the deputy commissioner of Mokokchung, Ajit Kumar Verma, traced the historical roots of child marriage in India, noting its evolution from a social norm to a harmful practice in today’s era of rational-thinking and education.

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• “Child marriage is a social evil with severe mental, psychological and health consequences for children,” Verma said. According to him, prevention and enforcement by agencies are the first steps.
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• Stating that it is an offense to marry a girl below 18 years from legal perspective, he called upon the stakeholders to sensitise the communities about implications of laws and the detrimental effects of child marriage through widespread awareness campaigns.
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• Dr. T Amongla, chairperson of Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Mokokchung, who was the resource person, described child marriage as both a social evil and illegal act that hampers girls’ education, health and aspirations.
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• “It prevents girls from realising their dreams and denies them a safe environment,” she said and urged for relentless efforts to prevent child marriage at all cost and ensure that all girl child receives education and protection.
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• While acknowledging progress in reducing child marriage, Dr. Amongla admitted its persistent prevalence due to poverty, gender inequality, cultural norms and lack of education.
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• She has made reference to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, which repealed the 1929 Child Marriage Restraint Act, equipping authorities with provisions to prohibit child marriages, protect victims and imposes stricter penalties on those facilitating such unions.
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• While admitting its decline over the years, she stated that practices remain significant that required a multi-pronged approach.
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• “Strengthening legal frameworks, empowering girls, engaging families and communities and promoting gender-equitable norms are essential to eradicate child marriage,” she suggested.
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• Also speaking on the occasion, senior superintendent of police, Mokokchung, Vesupra Kezo, stated that no formal complaints regarding child marriage in the district was reported. He was of the opinion that such cases might gone unreported due to social stigma.
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• Reminding that marrying a girl below 18 or a boy below 21 years under the Child Marriage Prevention Act is an offense, he has stressed the need for vigilance and community reporting to enforce the law effectively.