Question Of Survival: Assam Women Take To Streets As Police Arrest Over 4,000 In Child Marriage Cases

Ever since the Assam state cabinet resolved to take strict action on incidents of child marriages, the police have registered over 4,000 cases of child marriage in less than a week. Following this, the state witnessed the arrest of thousands of offenders. While many view the action as a necessary one to curb cases of child marriage in the country, many women have come out in large numbers to protest against the arrests.

The state also saw a married woman end her life in the fear that her parents might get arrested for marrying her off early. Amidst the widespread arrests, married women have taken to the streets to voice their fears.

'Why Take Only The Men?'

After Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a state-wide crackdown on child marriages, several arrests have been made in less than a week. Protesting against the arrests of their husbands and sons, large numbers of women took to the streets. A 55-year-old Niroda Doley of Majuli district was one among them, and she boldly questioned, "Why take only the men? How will we and or our children survive? We have no means of income."

Every woman had a different story to tell that converged to one single question - why arrest the men now? A woman from the Barpeta district said that her son had eloped with a minor, and her husband had to bear the brunt of it by being arrested for their son's mistake. A report by India Today quoted Monowara Khatoon, a resident of Morigaon, saying, "My daughter-in-law was 17 when she got married. Now she is 19 and five months pregnant. Who will look after her?"

Zero Tolerance Against Perpetrators

The state cabinet had recently declared that those who married girls below the age of 14 would be booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. The chief minister directed the police to take action with a "spirit of zero tolerance against the unpardonable and heinous crime on women."

State wide arrests are presently underway against those violating provisions of Prohibhiton of Child Marriage Act .

1800 + have been arrested so far.

I have asked @assampolice to act with a spirit of zero tolerance against the unpardonable and heinous crime on women

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 3, 2023

Assam, for quite a while, has had a high rate of maternal and infant mortality, as a result of rising number of child marriages. An average of 31 per cent of marriages registered in the state are within the prohibited age, and this places a huge risk on the girl child.

Supporting #ChildMarriage is supporting child abuse.

Let's join hands to save our girls from this crime against humanity and ensure a prosperous future for them.

Time to stop this social evil is now! #AssamAgainstChildMarriage#ChildNotBride @himantabiswa @gpsinghips pic.twitter.com/38VP8BSAFs

— Assam Police (@assampolice) February 4, 2023

Bringing a crackdown upon these cases, over 2,000 people have been arrested, and the police claim that they have a list of over 8,000 such accused. Among those arrested include 51 Purohits and Kazis who had conducted such wedding rituals in religious institutions. The maximum number of people were arrested from the districts of Dhubri, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Biswanath. Confirming that the drive will go on, Assam DGP Singh continues to provide the arrest numbers through his official Twitter handle.

Also Read: Child Marriages Kills 60 Girls Per Day Globally From Pregnancy, Childbirth: Report