Assam Intensifies Efforts To Eliminate Child Marriage: ASCPCR Chair

GUWAHATI: The chairperson of the Assam State Committee for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), Shyamal Prasad Saikia, on Tuesday said that the state has faced challenges related to gender discrimination, particularly concerning the rights and education of girls, including child marriages.

Saikia stressed the crucial role of monitoring agencies like ASCPCR in supervising the enforcement of laws and programs aimed at preventing child marriages by the respective authorities.

Saikia noted that the Assam government, known for its proactive approach against child marriage, is ramping up efforts to tackle this social issue.

ASCPCR, in partnership with Child Marriage Free India and with the support of its coalition partner Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), convened the consultation to deliberate on strategies to eradicate child marriage in Assam by 2030.

Dhananjay Tingal, the executive director of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, commended the Assam government for its dedication, describing it as a national role model. He praised the state's allocation of a ₹200 crore budget to eradicate child marriage in Assam, along with provisions for rehabilitating victims.

The most recent National Family Health Survey V (NFHS 2019-21) showed a decrease in the prevalence of child marriage in Assam since early 2023.

On January 23, 2023, the Assam government announced its intention to crack down on individuals involved in child marriage over the past seven years in the state.

The two-phase campaign initiated to combat child marriage, led to multiple arrests and the filing of numerous cases, as part of its efforts to curb this practice.

Since then, at least 6,000 people, including those who officiated child marriages, have been accused, and over 3,000 individuals have been arrested by the Assam police.

During the initial phase in February of last year, 3,483 individuals were arrested, and 4,515 cases were registered. This was followed by 915 arrests and 710 cases in the subsequent phase in October.

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