BENGALURU: With April-May being the season of marriages, the Parihar at the office of the Commissioner of Police points out that they have already come across about six-seven cases of child marriage this year. Most of these minors are from dysfunctional families, belonging to the lower strata of society. In fact, the department also receives anonymous letters and phone calls from educational institutions, neighbours, relatives and friends who come across such cases.
Take the case of this 15-year-old girl, who was married off to a 22-year-old boy by her mother. The girl’s father then registered a complaint stating that the mother had forcibly married off her daughter. However, according to the mother, she did it in good faith since the girl’s father was having an extramarital affair, and didn’t want the young girl to be part of an unconducive family environment. The girl and the mother were recently counselled, with the two now staying together.
In another instance, a 17-year-old got into an affair with a boy she met at her mother’s workplace. When the family discovered the affair and the fact that she had got pregnant, the mother of the girl got both of them married to avoid public humiliation. However, the boy refused to register the marriage. And four-and-a-half years later, the girl discovered that the boy was already married with another wife who lives with his parents. Upon being questioned, he demanded Rs 50 lakh from the girl to “accept” her. The girl, who has been under mental trauma, has been recommended to a shelter.
“Parents from dysfunctional families should help their children understand the consequences of an early marriage or having a romantic relationship with their partner. Parents are afraid that their child/children might choose a person from a different caste and think it is convenient to marry their children before they are even 18 which is completely wrong, “ explained Vidya Preetham, counsellor Parihar- Makkala Sahayavani.
Rani Shetty, Parihar in-charge, said, “Despite the number of cases reducing over the years, child marriage is still a cause of concern. We counsel both the parties and their families and provide shelter if needed. Most children hail from dysfunctional families and prefer to live away from their families, to whom we recommend shelters.”