Hisar admn alert to prevent child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya

With “Akshaya Tritiya” falling on April 30 this year, the district administration has sounded an alert to prevent the social evil of child marriage, which often sees a spike under the guise of mass wedding ceremonies during the period. “Akshaya Tritiya” is considered auspicious for weddings.

The district official said to curb such practices, district authorities had issued a public appeal to priests in temples, religious preachers gurdwaras, sarpanches, nambardars, councillors in the urban areas and owners and managers of community centres, banquet halls, marriage palaces, dharamshalas, as well as printing press owners, photographers, music band operators and tent house owners.

The official said these were the main agencies involved in marriage events and thus they were requested to verify the age certificates of the bride and the groom prior to any wedding ceremony and keep a copy of these for their records.

A government spokesperson emphasised that child marriage was not only a harmful social practice but also a criminal offence under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. The law sets the legal marriageable age at 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys. Any marriage conducted before these ages is considered a legal violation, and all individuals involved in the arrangement or facilitation of such marriages can face up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs one lakh, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the administration had urged the people to report any information related to planned child marriages to the nearest police station, police post, Anganwadi worker, Women and Child Development Project Officer, Child Protection Officers, District Programme Officers, SDM, BDO, Tehsildar, CTM or through helpline numbers: Police Helpline: 112, Child Helpline: 1098, and Women Helpline: 181.

In Bhiwani district also, the Tosham Subdivisonal Magistrate Ashvir Nain called on the general public to inform the authorities immediately if they got any information about child marriage being planned.

Nain said “Akshaya Tritiya”, also known as Akhateej, is traditionally a day when a large number of weddings were held due to its religious significance. However, some people exploited the occasion to conduct illegal child marriages, he added.

Haryana Tribune