Indore News: Officials Urge Priests, Other Religious Leaders To Refuse Services At Child Wedding Ceremonies During Awareness Workshop

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Child marriages can be prevented if service providers refuse to facilitate or support weddings involving minors, said Mahendra Pathak, in charge of the Anti-Child Marriage Flying Squad, during an awareness workshop organised by the Women and Child Development Department. The session aimed to sensitise priests, maulvis, and community-level service providers about their legal and social responsibility in stopping underage marriages.

Pathak stated that eliminating the practice requires collective awareness and accountability across society. He emphasised that saving a girl’s life and future holds greater value than traditional rituals and urged participants to pledge support for a child marriage-free India.

The workshop was conducted under the department’s 100-day action plan on child marriage eradication, being implemented across district projects and settlements under the guidance of Collector Shivam Verma. In the first phase, school students were informed about legal provisions, while the current phase focuses on empowering community members and service providers to act as preventive stakeholders.

Flying squad member Sangeeta Singh highlighted the importance of counselling children with empathy rather than punishment, stressing that family guidance shapes a child’s direction and confidence. Project Officer Nasreen Hussain explained departmental responsibilities and the role of women in safeguarding children.

Flying squad member Devendra Kumar Pathak, supervisors, anganwadi workers, and assistants attended the programme. Priests, maulvis, and local women actively participated, raising queries and seeking clarity on legal procedures. District Programme Officer Rajneesh Sinha said similar workshops will be expanded to rural areas and community leadership groups.