NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recently closed a case of mass child marriages in Rajasthan after the state government submitted a report in this regard and also gave an assurance to tackle the problem.
According to the report submitted by the Deputy Secretary (Home), , 15 cases of child marriages were registered under the direction of the court and 83 cases of child marriages were stopped.
“All the District Collectors and the SPs of the areas were instructed to take preventive measures on the occasion of akshyaya tritiya, teez and other such festivals,” added the report.
The NHRC had issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan Government in 2009, asking it to submit a report on the alleged incidents of child marriages in the state.
The notice was issued following a complaint by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, who alleged that child marriages were rampant in the state, especially in Bundi, Chittragarh,
Tonk and Bhilwara districts.
“These are happening even after laws are enacted to prevent child marriages. Children are married even at the age of five and six,” said Tripathy, seeking intervention of the commission.
He also apprehended that there might be many cases in the interior regions of the state that remain unreported and pleaded with the commission to study the situation.
“When the government data admits substantial child marriages and prevented child marriages in 2010-11, the NHRC should have passed some strong strictures against the state authorities and could also have moved the apex court for the laxity of the state government to prevent the child marriages,” added Radhakanta.