Admn, NGO get court orders to stop 14 child marriages in Bundi

Kota: The additional chief judicial magistrate in Bundi district Monday issued injunction orders against 14 child marriages that were scheduled to be solemnised by April 30, the day of Akshaya Tritiya, in Indergarh and Hindoli tehsils of the district.

Child Welfare Committee (CWC)'s chairperson in Bundi, Seema Poddhar, said Childline NGO, child rights department, and district administration took joint action to legally stop the 14 child marriages by approaching court. As a result of the court's injunction orders, even if the minor couples are wedded, their matrimonial tie will bear no legal status, she said.

The case was facilitated by the tehsildar of Indragarh and the Child Helpline 1098 team in Hindoli, Raithal, and Indragarh tehsils of Bundi district, Poddhar said.

The district administration in both Kota and Bundi has been coordinating with various departments to conduct workshops and seminars against child marriages for over a month. Besides the 1098 helpline, 24X7 control rooms have been set up at district headquarters to receive information and take immediate action.

Bheruprakash Nagar, deputy director of women empowerment department, said a seminar with priests, religious leaders and others was conducted earlier this month where printing press proprietors were specifically directed to mention the date of birth of the boy (groom) and girl (bride) on invitation cards. Priests were asked to check birth or age-related documents of the couple before solemnising the wedding knot. ‘Pannadhai' centres are active at district headquarters with staff and volunteers keeping watch for child marriages and encouraging villagers to report such cases.

Referring to similar activities in Kota, assistant director, child rights, Ramraj Meena said a minor girl herself approached Childline to stop her marriage this month. Necessary action was taken and the girl was sent to a shelter home, Meena said.

Zaheer Alam, an NGO cordinator in Bundi, said that in compliance with guidelines by the High Court, workshops were organised at block level where panchayat representatives were sensitised and told that the panchayat representative will be held accountable for child marriage in their area.