Despite prohibition, Hindu villagers marry off children

Social workers have some success

May 11, 1997
Web posted at: 6:56 p.m. EDT (2256 GMT)

JAIPUR, India (CNN) -- Hundreds of children, one of them only 3 years old, were married off by their parents during a Hindu religious festival known as Akha Teej.

Although banned by parliament decades ago, the ancient practice has continued in rural areas where enforcement is lax. It is especially common in the northwestern province of Rajasthan.

Villagers carried out the marriages Friday with full, traditional ceremonies though the Rajasthan government tried to prevent them. In a village not far from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, a 3-year-old girl was married to an 11-year-old boy.

The boy, wearing a shiny new shirt and trousers and a red-and-white turban, solemnly followed his father through the streets of the village to the temple.

His bride, a tiny, dark-eyed child with hair that grew damp from the heat and stuck to her head, wore a rose-colored blouse, a dark green skirt and a long, saffron headdress.

The ceremony was presided over by a priest in white. Afterwards, the bride and groom sat placidly on a cloth 3 feet (1 meter) apart, seemingly oblivious to each other while the wedding party chanted and clapped and sang.

Child marriages are officially forbidden by a law popularly known as the Sharada Act, but many villagers cling to the old tradition.

Social workers have some success

The state government sought help this year from "Sathins," voluntary social workers employed to educate villagers and bring the marriages to a halt. While the experiment helped, Sathins complained that they had little cooperation from police and local administrators.

Government records show a total of 102 child marriages were performed between 1991 and 1995, but the records are not believed to be reliable. The government also claims it has stopped 402 child marriages during this period.

 

Related s