DNA Special: Assam adopts 'zero tolerance policy' against child marriage

The Assam government has adopted a 'zero tolerance' policy on child marriage. For a long time, efforts were being made to stop child marriage in Assam, but it was continuing. Now, being strict, the government has started taking action against such people, who knowingly did or got child marriages done.

According to the National Family Health Survey, Assam is one of the states in the country with the highest maternal and child mortality rates. One of the main reasons for this is child marriage. In 31 percent of marriages in Assam, the age of the boy or the girl is not according to the rules. That is, the age of the girl is less than 18 years and the age of the boys is less than 21 years.

In this ongoing campaign against child marriage, 4,074 cases have been registered so far. 2,044 people have been arrested in this. Among these arrested people are also those who had got child marriages done. It also includes family members, pundits and qazis. A case is being registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act  against those who marry and get girls below 14 years of age married.

If the age of the girls involved in the child marriage is 14 to 18 years, then the person who performs and gets the child married is being booked under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. If the age of the boy getting married is less than 14 years then he is being sent directly to the child reform home.

The cabinet of the Assam government had last month passed a resolution on action against the practice in the state. In this, it was decided that a case would be registered under the POCSO Act against men and youth who marry girls below the age of 14 years. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also mentioned the action taken regarding this campaign by tweeting today. In this, he asked the Assam Police to adopt a zero tolerance policy on the accused in this case. The Assam Police also took strict action in this matter.

Maximum FIR has been registered in Dhubri, where 374 cases have been registered, in which 126 people have been arrested. The second number is Hojai district where 255 FIRs have been registered, in which 96 people have been arrested. Similarly, the third number is Morigaon where 94 people have been arrested in 224 cases. Number four is Udalgiri where 213 FIRs were registered and 58 people were arrested. Kokrajhar district is at number five, where 204 cases have been registered, in which 94 people have been arrested.

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