Operation ‘child marriage’ in India: at least 1800 people arrested

Assamese Prime Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on his social media account that the authorities will act in a “zero tolerance spirit for unforgivable and heinous crimes” against women.

Stating that more than 1,800 people were detained across Assam in the operations involving marriages under the age of 18, Sarma said the authorities also targeted religious officials who performed marriages at these marriages.

Rajib Sharma, director of the Assam-based non-governmental organization “Global Organization for Life Development”, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that child marriages are more than a tradition.

Explaining that there are tribes and minorities in the society and they marry off their daughters at a young age, Sharma cited poverty, ignorance and inadequacy of government measures among the causes of child marriages in Assam.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Assam Prime Minister Sarma announced yesterday that 4,000 child marriages will be discussed in Assam in the last 9 days.

The Assam government announced in January that legal proceedings would be launched against men who marry girls under the age of 18.

In 2019, an Assam government investigation revealed that around 32% of girls in the province were married before the age of 18 and around 12% gave birth at age 18. (AA)