Mangaluru: “Child marriage is a social evil which can be eradicated only if there is mutual cooperation between the Police Department, Women and Child Welfare Department and people”, said Principal District and Sessions Court Judge Kadloor Sathyanarayanacharya on Tuesday, October 2.
Presiding over an interaction programme with regard to prevention of child marriage, organised by the district administration at district court, he said, “Poverty and the risks involved in protecting their daughters force the parents to resort to marrying them off at an early age. Child marriage has a direct impact on the health of the girl child and they face high-risk delivery complications during childbirth”, he said.
Informing about the how the officials face problems in stopping child marriages, Sathyanarayanacharya said, “Though the incidents of child marriages are very less in Dakshina Kannada district, it is more in North Karnataka. There were several instances wherein the officials were confined by the locals until the marriages are solemnised during raids on the venue. Hence, there should be proper co-operation and mutual understanding between the police and women and child welfare department”, he said.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil after inaugurating the programme said, “People should not treat a girl child as a commodity. Gender discrimination is also a reason for child marriages as parents don’t want to provide proper education to their daughters. The mandatory age limit of 18 for girls and 22 for boys to get married should not be violated”, he said.
Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Department Sundar Poojary, Member Secretary of District Legal Services Authority Mallana Gowda Patil, Senior Legal Officer (Prosecution) Shivaprasad Alva K, Senior Civil Judge Hareesh among others were present.
