MADURAI: Child marriages are prevalent in some sub- altern communities in the Madurai area even today mainly because parents are worried about their daughters falling in love even while in school and bringing dishonour to the families. Of course, such marriages are in keeping with family traditions.
So, if things work out to the plans of 13-year-old Malini’s family, the Class eighth student of V Kal-lupatti village near Usilam- patti will not only become the wife of a man 17 years elder to her in another few days, but will also be up- holding a family tradition—her mother was married off at the age of 11and her elder sister tied the knot when she was 12.
Such marriages are also to maintain family ties, as 70- year-old Karuppayee said: “My parents got me married to my cousin when I was in sixth standard. In our com- munity, maintaining family honour and relationship is the top priority.”
Maternal uncles and cousins have a ‘right’ to de- mand a girl’s hand in mar- riage any time they want. “When I gave birth to a girl, my brother said that she would be his daughters-in- law,” said Palaniammal, a mother of two children. “Even last week, he came home drunk and reminded me about marrying my daughter to his son,”
she added.
“Whenever my brother decides, I will have to give my daughter in marriage even if she is aged below 14,” said Santhi of the village, who has two daughters. “If I refuse, my brother will prevent other men in the community from marrying my daughter,” she said.
In the last two months alone, Madurai rural police have stopped three child marriages. But Malini’s mother Mariammal is firm. “If the police stop the mar- riage, I will leave her at the police station and ask them to get my daughter married when she reaches the legal age,” she said.
(All names in the story have been changed)