The Hindu : `Child marriages prevalent among primitive tribes'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 25, 2002

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`Child marriages prevalent among primitive tribes'

By Aarti Dhar

RAIPUR APRIL 24. Even as the Chhatisgarh Government claims to have identified 70 ``spots'' in Kawardha district where child marriages were performed, it admitted that the number of such marriage ceremonies could be 1,500 in the entire year as against 3,000 performed in the earlier years.

According to an official of the Women and Child Development Department, the custom of child marriage is prevalent among the most primitive Baiga tribes and `Chandravanshi', and `Kachchi' communities broadly classified as `Patels' or village headmen. He said that efforts were being made to create awareness among the villagers to make them give up this practice. Attempts were now being made to trace and contact the people who got their minor children married.

Three to four months ago, sarpanches had been asked by the local Social Water Officer to prevent such ceremonies as it was legally not allowed and could result in prosecution. Again on April 10-11, during the Bhoramdev Festival, 10,000 pamphlets were distributed among the locals who attended the festival. This was done as part of the State's policy for women.Between April 4 and 20, several Gram Sabhas were held where the matter was taken up. Last year, 30 sensitisation camps were organised by the Women and Child Development Department in this connection, he said.

Meanwhile, the Forum for Fact-finding Documentation and Advocacy (FFDA), which had brought up the issue for child marriage, is now surveying the practice of bonded child labourers in the State.

The FFDA and a social organisation, the Chhatisgarh Vikas Parishad, have detected several cases of bonded child labourers in east and southern districts of the State. These are Raipur, Raigarh, Jashpur, Kawardha, and Rajnandgaon. While figures of 17 villages of Mahasamund district have been compiled, those of the others districts were being processed.

According to Subhash Mohapatra, FFDA, Project Officer, the tradition of bonded labourers has been the ``practice'' in this region for centuries now. Those below the age of 18 years are called as `Kothia' while the adult bonded labourers are known as `Kamhiya' (earner) and it is impossible for the poor people to come out of this trap because there is no other source of livelihood available to them.

The landlord or the `Agharia' as he is known locally, pays between Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 5,000 annually to a `Kothia' and the price of `Kamhiya' ranges between Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 7,000. Those who send their member are basically from the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, living below poverty line, and landless farmers.

The system is like a contract where the labourer comes to the landlord's house at 6 a.m. and leaves at 8 p.m., getting about an hour to go home for lunch. The labourers, including girls, are expected to do all kind of work and even face sexual harassment. So much so ``girl labourers'' are described as their ``properties'' by the landlords and no one else can stake his claim on her. Young boys are sexually harassed by the landlady or even the landlord and made to perform ``unnatural'' acts. The labourers do not have a right to say no as it would invite the wrath of his master and could even lead to him being physically tortured, Mr. Mohapatra said.

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`Child marriages prevalent among primitive tribes'