Child Marriage Bill evokes wide support in LS

New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) Cutting across party lines, members in the Lok Sabha today supported the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2006, already passed by the Rajya Sabha, and said it would go a long way in curbing the social evil.

Moving the Bill for consideration, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury said the Bill was important as it would have an impact on the social fabric banning the prevalent practice of child marriage. She said it was high time the child marriage was put an end to as 65 per cent of the girl population married before attaining the age of 18.

She said the child marriage had other implications too. A girl marrying at 18 often gave birth to unhealthy child. Child marriage often gave rise to the problem of cross-border trafficking in women.

Besides, as many as one crore girl children had so far been killed by using the method of ultrasound.

Ms Chowdhury said the Bill would provide relief to the victims of child marriage as their consent was often not taken before solemnisation of the marriage done under duress. Such marriages before attaining adulthood could be rendered null and void. The Bill would give the victims of child marriage another chance to live like any other citizen.

Participating in the discussion on the Bill, Mrs Sumitra Mahajan (BJP), Ms Krishna Tirath (Congress), Mr Shailendra Kumar (SP) and Mr Alok Kumar Mehta (RJD) hailed the Bill as containing all the good features taking care of the eventualities like right to earn livelihood in the event of nullification of marriage, taking responsibility of the legitimacy of the child and providing for making the offence non-bailable.

They also suggested compulsory registration of all the marriages to create awareness about the Bill, especially in the rural areas, and action against middlemen who prompted such marriages. They called for action against NRIs marrying minor girls in India.

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