Anantapur: Child marriages rampant

• 136 complaints received about child marriages from anonymous callers: Kondappa
• Appeals people to call toll-free number 1098 to curb the menace

Anantapur: Human and Natural Resource Development Society (HANDS) is working with Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of the Woman and Child Welfare Department for eradication of child marriages and teenage pregnancies through its project dubbed as ‘Girls Advocacy Alliance.’

Addressing a press conference, the project coordinator Kondappa said that he received as many as 136 complaints from 10 mandals in the district including Gooty, Guntakal and Tadipatri relating to plans to perform child marriages from anonymous people and in a few instances from the child brides, who did not like to get married but pursue education beyond tenth grade.

The girls, who complained to the toll-free number were aged between 13-15 years. About 42 complaints related to girls in the ages of 13-15 years.

Most of the marriages fixed were foiled by the ICDS authorities, who are authorised to stop the marriages. HANDS is working with ICDS to educate the rural populace and even stall fixed child marriages.

Asked what prompted the parents of girls to perform marriages in the ages below 18 years, Kondappa said there were several compulsions including insecurity of girls, who attained puberty as most of the parents leave their girls at home alone for the whole day making them vulnerable to influences from boys and sexual exploitation by boys.

The other reasons being love affairs, possibility of girls succumbing to pre-marital teen age sex and pre-marital pregnancies etc which force parents to dispose them off after attaining puberty.

Unable to take care of young girls financially is also another reason to pass on the responsibility to their son-in-law through early marriage.
Replying to a question, Kondappa stated that India stands first among top 10 countries where child marriages are rampant.

41 percent of girls marry far under the age of 18 years in India. 45 percent of girls below 18 become pregnant.

In Anantapur district, 4,741 girls are still not attending schools. The drop-outs are vulnerable for child marriages.

Kondappa has appealed to the general public to inform of any child marriage anywhere to toll-free number 1098 to curb the menace.