Marriage of 9-year old prevented in Haryana village

Gurgaon, Mar 9 (UNI) The district administration today halted the marriage of a nine year old girl in Nathupur village.

Officers of the district administration persuaded her parents not to marry her off at this tender age and thus preventented a child marriage from taking place.

According to a spokesman of the district administration, the marriage of two daughters of Mahaveer Singh of village Nathupur was fixed for today and the 'barat' was to come from village Naya Baas in Delhi.

The elder daughter, Leela was of marriageable age, that is above 18 years but the family wanted to get the younger one, Mona married off along with her sister in the same ceremony. A few days back, this fact came to the knowledge of Ms Seema who is working as Circle Anganwari Supervisor in that area.

Ms Seema brought this fact into the knowledge of Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Gupta who asked her to take the 'Sakshar Mahila Samuh'( group of educated women) and Village Level Committee of the village into confidence and persuade the mother of the minor girl not to go ahead as this was illegal. Moreover, Mona was not physically and mentally prepared at this tender age for entering into a wedlock.

Ms Seema took the initiative and contacted the village sarpanch.

Alongwith the women folk of village Nathupur she succeeded in making the mother, Mundra realize the ill consequences of early marriage and she assured them that Mona would not be married away rather she would be allowed to complete her studies first.

But the suspense prevailed till today when the ritual was to be performed in the village. By this time, the Deputy Commissioner had also sounded the concerned police officials to remain vigilant to prevent the child marriage.

The Programme Officer of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Ms Sunaina was in touch with the DC and she informed him about the developments taking place in the village. Despite assurance from the mother, all eyes were set on the 'barat' coming from village Naya Baas in Delhi.

When the 'barat' arrived in the village, presence of only one 'dullah' (bridegroom) gave a sigh of relief to the administration and the child marriage was thus prevented. The young Mona alongwith her parents watched her elder sister, Leela take the 'pheras' (marriage ritual).

UNI HS VN1909