Doomdooma: Following the Assam government’s ongoing crackdown against child marriage, religious leaders as well as child activists and health workers have joined hands to root out the harmful practice in the state.
On Sunday, a Hindu priest named Anand Baba organised an awareness campaign against child marriage at Athengia village in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.
Athengia Gaon is located in Doom Dooma subdivision of Tinsukia district. It is 3km away from sub-district headquarter Doom Dooma and 28km away from the district headquarter Tinsukia.
“Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asserted that the drive against child marriage launched by the state police will continue till the next assembly elections in 2026. Moreover, child marriage is illegal. It threatens the lives, well-being, and futures of girls. So, we must eliminate this practice completely from society,” he said while addressing the awareness programme, which was attended by people mostly from the tea community.
“We should encourage female education. Send your daughters to schools and colleges for higher education. Let them make their future bright and get married at the right age. Then only the girls will get equal opportunity in society,” he added.
Appreciating the government’s drive against child marriage, father Rajesh Lakra of St Stephen Catholic Church at Rumalgaon in Tinsukia said, “It’s a good step. We are creating awareness among our people in every way possible on the harmful practice of child marriage.”
Besides, social activists and health workers have also joined hands by organising awareness programmes and campaigns to educate people about the harmful consequences of child marriage to combat the menace in the district.
According to reports from the Assam police department, 2,258 people have been arrested so far in the crackdown against child marriage.
The state cabinet had recently decided that those married to girls below 14 years of age will be booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences ( POCSO ) Act.
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Responding to the ongoing drive on child marriage, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said, “I am sending a very strong message to certain communities that you cannot violate the law and if you do so, action will be taken against it.”
Assam has a high maternal and infant mortality rate, with child marriage being the primary cause as 31 percent of marriages registered in the state are in the prohibited age group, according to reports of the National Family Health Survey.
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