The Hindu : Villagers defend child marriages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 29, 2002

Other States

Other States - Chattisgarh

Villagers defend child marriages

By Aarti Dhar

KAWARDHA (Chhatisgarh) APRIL 28. A sense of achievement prevails among villagers in the Marar-dominated Rajanawagaon village, where child marriages were performed on a large scale on Ramanavami on April 21. Achievement on being able to go ahead with their custom — however unlawful it may be — despite efforts by the district administration to prevent it.

"The marriages have already taken place, do whatever you can," says Bunkibai, whose three grandsons, in the age group of 11 to 14, were married that day. The only logic behind getting them married was that she wanted to see the "faces" of her grand daughters-in-law and great-grandchildren before she died.

Ms. Bunkibai was critically ill last year — the family spent Rs. 20,000 on her treatment — and this prompted her to get her grandsons married off, though none of them is educated. "What is the point in sending them to school when they have to do farming anyway," she asks. Once settled in the fields, marriage was the next best thing that could happen to the lads. Also it was an occasion for celebration.

Aware that child marriage was an offence and punishable under law, Ms. Bunkibai had even attended "sensititation camps" organised by the Department of Women and Child Development. She also had an "intense interaction" with the local anganwadi worker, but to no avail.

"Why should we wait until the boys grow up? Look at what happened in the neighbourhood. One boy ran away with a woman," an agitated Sukhao, husband of Ms. Bunkibai, said. He was referring to Prakash (18), who got married on April 21, and eloped with a married woman the next day.

Their neighbour, Agasiyabai, also got two of her sons married that day. Appearing a little remorseful, she vowed not to get her two other children married before they grew up. The local anganwadi worker had come to their house before the wedding, but obviously could not make much impact on their thinking then.

"It is a custom that has been going on for centuries, and villagers see no reason why it should end now," Garibin Bai, sarpanch of the village, said.

Village elders said that only children above 10 were being married now. They recalled times when infants were married off, with their parents taking the customary seven "pheras" around the "mandap". There have been incidents when parents got their children married off just because their neighbours did so!

"We are taking all effort to put an end to this practice but social customs take time to change," the Collector, K.S. Kehari, said.

The problem had to be countered by spreading education and social awareness and economic upliftment, he said, adding that an increase in the age group was a good sign. In the coming years, it would cross the legal age limit, he hoped. In Rajanawagaon alone, 16 child marriages took place on April 16.

Now the practice is prevalent only among the Marar community, which comes under the OBC category.

According to the District Women and Child Welfare Officer, Nandlal Chodhary, earlier Chandrawansis, Kachchis and at times Baigas used to conduct child marriages but they gave up the practice years ago.

Different families have different reasons for getting their children married. Dowry is one; the younger the girls, the lesser is the demand for dowry.

"What if the girl is not beautiful when she grows up? No one will want to marry her," a villager said.

"But men need not be worried. They will get a match even if they do not look good or do not even earn."

The next auspicious day for marriages is May 15 when again thousands of marriages are expected to take place.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

Stories in this Section

Daring to fight the custom

Villagers defend child marriages