Bengaluru: Karnataka accounts for 23.2% of child marriages reported in the country, according to the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR).
The state is continues to be either in the eighth or ninth position in the country with respect to child marriage, according to the National Health Mission said Kripa Amar Alva, chairperson, KSCPCR, speaking to reporters on Friday.
The child marriage practice was mostly prevalent in northern parts Karnataka with a most of the cases being reported from Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkot and the surrounding districts. The highest numbers are from Yadgir, she said further adding that the practice is prevalent in certain communities and that a sizeable number of “Gujjar” marriages- wherein Men from Gujarat and Rajasthan buy out young children by paying families Rs 10,000 in the name of marriage to later abandon them thereby raising further issues of trafficking and flesh trade- are also reported in the state.
The Commission for Protection of Child Rights will launch a campaign to prevent child marriages at Vidhana Soudha on Saturday by chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Website
The commission is also launching a new website ‘Kare’ where complaints on a range of problems from education, visitation rights, child labour, ragging, corporal punishment and others can be filed. The platform serves as a connect between 10 departments including education, labour, women and child welfare and the department of health and family welfare. Complaints lodged on the website are channeled to the departments concerned.
