Noida: Pandemic situations bringing child marriages back into attack

Noida: The pandemic situation in the country is making poor fathers to attempt for child marriages. Two incidents which took place in Noida region shows the sadistic acts of the fathers. Childline teams, after getting knowledge on the incidents counseled the parents and cancelled the weddings.

A daily wage labourer tried to get his minor daughters married thinking that he would not need to spend money for a feast due to the lockdown. According to sources, one daughter is in class 6, 12 years old and other in class 9, 16 years old.

After the lockdown was imposed, the labourer had been jobless and deep in debt. The wedding was fixed with two boys from Palwal district in Haryana.

However, on June 29, a nearby resident complained to the Childline Helpline number after which a team reached the spot and counseled the family. The girl's father promised that he would not get his daughters married off before they turn 18.

In another case, a family from Greater Noida's Suthyana Village tried to marry off their 17-year-old boy as they wanted a daughter-in-law to do the domestic chores.

According to sources, the family is very poor and the mother is unable to work due to a problem in her leg. However, officials of the Childline got information about the wedding and it was called off later.