Officials keep vigil to prevent child marriages in Srikalahasti

Tirupati: Apart from conducting the mega Maha Sivaratri Brahmotsavams in Srikalahasti on a grand note which attracts lakhs of devotees, preventing child marriages is another major task during the mega event every year for the officials. Despite the best efforts of officials to prevent child marriages, many such marriages go unnoticed every year causing embarrassment to the government machinery.

There is a strong desire among the people to perform marriages to their children on the auspicious Maha Sivaratri festival, when the celestial 'Siva Parvati Kalyanam' is observed. People from several parts throng Srikalahasti to get their children married on the occasion. Several parents particularly from poorer sections take the opportunity to get their minors also married along with 'Siva Parvati Kalyanam' and this trend was largely in practice till a few years back as they consider it as a cost effective means too.

This has created a ruckus, following which a petition submitted by a group of voluntary organisations to the State Human Rights Commission long back. Acting on this, the commission directed the officials not to allow mass child marriages. Since then, along with NGOs, police, revenue and ICDS staff were pressed into service to keep a vigil and prevent minors from getting married.

A CDPO of ICDS said that they conduct awareness programmes extensively wherever they sense the parents planning to perform marriages to their minors. They resort to this due to their social, cultural and economic conditions but were not aware of the health complications with early pregnancy among other adverse effects.

Even during the Sivaratri festival, they keep a vigil on the vehicles entering into the town and establish check posts on the outskirts. If anyone is found suspiciously will be counselled and sent back. Those who are above the age of 18 and want to get married on the day of 'Siva Parvati Kalyanam' need to produce Aadhaar, SSC marks memo and other documents following which a permission letter will be issued.

On their part, the police department in association with voluntary organisations conducted programmes in Srikalahasti sub-division on the ill-effects of child marriages and appealed to the people to cooperate in this regard. District collector K Venkataramana Reddy, SP P Parameswar Reddy and other officials have issued directions to monitor the situation strictly and ensure that no marriage of minors should take place.