Mysuru: An Anganwadi worker who is supposed to create awareness against child marriage in her jurisdiction is involved in arranging marriage for her own daughter who is just 16 years old.
Sakamma, attached to Kesthuru Koppalu of K R Nagar Taluk is the Anganwadi worker who is all set to get her daughter married to a police constable. Sakamma’s husband Somashekar is having very good political back up. Using this both of them especially Somashekar, threatened the officials of Women and Child Welfare department when they went to the couple’s residence to convince and stop the proposed child marriage of the minor girl.
Somashekar and Sakamma encountered the officials in abusive language and challenged them that no one could stop the couple from conducting marriage of their daughter. The authorities have brought this to the notice of Radha, Deputy Director, Women and Child Welfare Department who has assured to take action against the Anganwadi worker which also includes possibilities of her termination from job. Among various responsibilities, it is also the duty of Anganawadi workers to create awareness about child marriage and its adverse effects including legal issues. In K R Nagar Taluk especially at Cheeranahalli, Kalamma Koppalu, Kesthru Koppalu and D K Koppalu dominated by Kuruba community, child marriage is rampant. According to sources, without the knowledge of child welfare department, many child marriages happen in the above said areas.
Radha said, “There are rampant child marriage cases in Kesthuru Koppalu village. Whenever it was brought to our notice we have successfully stopped child marriages but there are instances wherein some of them secretly got married. Though we have created awareness, people are really not much bothered to refrain from it. Stringent action including termination will be taken up at the earliest against Anganwadi worker Sakamma who misbehaved with our officials and is involved in arranging marriage of her minor daughter. Most of the parents especially in rural areas, resort to child marriage out of fear that their daughters might get into love affairs thus bringing disrepute to their families.” Shockingly, Ravi who is engaged to the 16-year-old girl is a police constable attached to the KSRP.
Across the district this year, the child marriage count has come down to 79 as on November 2016 from 107 during 2015-16 but is yet to be controlled in Mysuru Rural, T Narasipur and Nanjangud Taluks. Till November the number of child marriages reported in these three regions are 20, 11 and 5 which was just 13, 4 and 2 respectively last year.
