Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday wished that ‘Akshaya Treethiya’ will bring prosperity to farmers, workers and all sections of the society. He was speaking on the eve of ‘Akshaya Treethiya’ here. The Chief Minister appealed to the people of Chhattisgarh to eradicate social evils like child marriages.
He said child marriages are a crime against children. It is a crime according to law also. Singh in a message released on the eve of ‘Akshaya Treethiya’ said that it is considered auspicious to conduct marriages and start farming operations as per Indian culture and traditions.
In local parlance it is ‘Akhti’ which is the start of Kharif crops’ sowing operations and brings in good tidings. It is an important time for our hard-working farming community. It is auspicious period to conduct marriages and bad for child marriages. It is a social evil. He called upon the citizens to end child marriages and avoid social evils. Singh accepted that due to modern education child marriages have come down to a large extent but in some parts of the society it is still prevalent.
The Chief Minister said in the age when children should play and enjoy they are married off which is not healthy from any angle. Singh said child marriages are an impediment in the natural development of children and they are violation of human rights also. It is a crime in the eyes of law and a curse to the society. The children undergo a lot of mental torture and even the family members and society have to suffer.
The Chief Minister said that children drop out of school and in due course of period they fail to get employment also. He called upon the citizens to take oath to end child marriages on the auspicious occasion. Singh also called upon the citizens to be vigilant and alert the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), police station, Woman and Child Development Department Regional Officer, employees, anganwadi workers, Sarpanch and Kotwar.
The Chief Minister said that a boy getting married under 21 years of age and a girl under 18 is prohibited by law. If a person conducts, participates, gives permission to a child marriage then he is liable to get two years of imprisonment or Rs1 lakh penalty or both. It is better to avoid unpleasant situations, he said.