KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in Wayanad to prepare a long-term action plan to raise awareness among tribal communities against child marriage and encourage them to abandon the practice.
The directive follows a report of DLSA highlighting the prevalence of child marriage among several communities in Wayanad, including the Paniya, Mullukuruma, Adiyar, Kurichya, Oorali, Kattunaikkan, Kanduvadiyar, Thachanadar, and Kanaladi.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu, has also called for collaboration with government departments and local panchayats to gather input for the action plan. The DLSA chairman has been instructed to hold a joint meeting with government officers and panchayat representatives to develop a comprehensive approach. The court asked the government authorities to fully cooperate with the DLSA.