Assam: Crackdown on child marriages continue, 2,666 including 78 women arrested

The action in Assam against child marriages continues in full swing. The crackdown comes following a decision by the Assam Cabinet headed by Himanta Biswa Sarma

New Delhi, Feb 09: The Assam police has arrested 2,666 persons so far in connection with cases relating to child marriages in the state. The ongoing actions come after the Assam Cabinet led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered action.

Sarma took to Twitter and urged the general public to end the tradition of child marriages.

"Our crackdown against child marriage continues with 2,666 arrests made so far. The drive against this social evil will continue. We seek the support of the people of Assam in our fight against this social crime," Sarma said on Twitter.

More than 4,074 such cases have been registered so far and as of February 7 a total of 2,528 people had been arrested from across Assam.

A report in The Indian Express said that those arrested also included 78 women.

The authorities have transformed the Matia transit camp and a stadium in Silchar into temporary jails. These will house those arrested on charges of either marrying girls under the age of 18 or solemnising and encouraging such marriages.

The act which came into force on November 1 2007 prohibits child marriages in India. It further protects and provides assistance to the victims of child marriages. However it did not override the Muslim Personal Law which allows child marriages otherwise prohibited by the law.

In October 2017, in a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court criminalised sex with a child bride. This removed the exception in the country's criminal jurisprudence which had until them held that the consummation of marriage with a minor wife as legal.

The Child Marriage Act:

The Child Marriage Restraint Act also known as the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) was enacted two address issues of child marriage in the country. The act sets the minimum age for marriage for girls at 18 years and for boys at 21 years.

Any illegality provides for severe punishment. This applies to those who perform, conduct or abet child marriages. The imprisonment could extend up to 2 years and fine. If either of the parties is a minor, the act provides for annulment of the marriage.

The issue continues to be a problem despite such stringent laws. In Assam it was found that there were many child mothers and this was leading to health complications. Taking into account these factors, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government ordered a crackdown on child marriage.