Observing that the number of child marriages in the state was “mind-boggling”, the Bombay high court has said that more needs to be done by the Maharashtra government to rid the state of the menace of age-old custom.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and justice VG Bisht was hearing a bunch of petitions highlighting the high mortality rate of infants and pregnant and lactating mothers in tribal regions of the state, particularly in Melghat, due to malnutrition.
The government informed HC that there have been over 15,000 child marriages in the state in the last three years. However, the government has managed to prevent 1,541 child marriages due to the intervention of state authorities.
Pursuant to earlier HC order, a report was submitted by a three-member state-level committee, which was asked to conduct survey of child marriages in 16 tribal districts in the state. The committee was also asked to survey cases where the girl child had delivered while still being a minor. The committee comprised of the commissioner of Tribal Research and Training Institute, deputy commissioner of Integrated Child Development Service Scheme and assistant director of the health department.
“From the above report, it can be concluded that child marriage of girls is one of the important reasons for malnutrition and child deaths in the tribal community,” read the report.
After going through the numbers, the HC observed: “The numbers were mind-boggling.” The HC further noted that it was necessary to sensitise elders in the community and make them aware of the ill effects of child marriages, especially in the girl child.
The court also took note of the fact the authorities had managed to prevent various child marriages. “Due to timely intervention of the officials of the Women and Child Welfare Department, there have been 1,541 cases where child marriages were prevented,” observed HC.
Asking the government to be more proactive, the HC noted: “We hope and trust that the government will not leave any stone unturned (in preventing child marriages by implementing the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act).”
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