Effective measures have been adopted to prevent child marriages in Madhya Pradesh this year too. Special activities have been held in districts under lado Abhiyan Action Plan, implemented since February.
It has been decided to continue the campaign throughout the year. The attention of District Collectors has been drawn towards dates on which marriages and mass marriages are solemnised on a large scale. One of such days is Akshaya Tritiya or Akha Teej, which falls on May 13.
Child marriage is illegal as per Child Marriage Prevention Act-1929. Jail term or fine both can be imposed under the Act. However, villagers are not fully aware of the Act’s provisions.
Due to it, information about child marriage is rarely given to authorities. Section 2 of the Act defines child marriage. According to sub-section A of the section, a child means a male below 21 years of age and a female below the age of 18 years. According to sub-section B, a child marriage is a wedlock in which one of the spouses is ‘child’ as defined by the Act. Sub-section C deals with the parties organising or going to organise such marriages.
Section 3 of the Act provides for legal punishment for a male entering into wedlock before attaining age of 21 years. It lays down up to 15 days’ simple jail term if a male marries after 18 years and below 21 years of age or a fine up to Rs. one lakh may be imposed or both. If a male above 21 years of age marries a ‘child’, then he may have to undergo up to three months’ simple imprisonment and a fine will
also be imposed on him as per Section 4 of the Act.
There is a provision in Section 5 for punishment to those organising child marriage. According to it, anyone organising, conducting or hosting a child marriage, until he or she proves that he or she had reason to believe that it was not a child marriage, will be liable to jail term of more than three months and fine.
Section 6 of the Act provides for penal action against parents or patrons involved in child marriage, any parent or guardian or any other person looking after a an adult will be liable to three months’ simple imprisonment and fine if he or she motivates or indulges in any other activity for child marriage or organises it or allows it or fails to prevent it.
However, no woman will be punished with jail term. Similarly, Section 12 provides to vest powers for issuing orders to ban marriage in violation of the Act.