‘Drought is also one of the reasons as parents want to finish their responsibility’

here is a child marriage proposed in our village. Please come and stop that,” was the terse, short telephone call received by the staff of Child Line, Medak, recently from a village in Veldurthi mandal.

By the time officials, including those from the revenue and police departments reached the village, the marriage venue was shifted to a temple deep inside the nearby forests. This is nothing new for the officials of either Child Line or Integrated Child Development Scheme officials. Many a time, they get calls very late, with just hours to reach the village and stop it.

“We have already made all arrangements, bought new clothes and gold for the bride and groom and relatives have arrived. Even pandal was erected. If you stop the marriage, what happens to our honour in the society? Can we marry off our daughter once again? Can you guarantee her security as she commutes miles every day?” were the questions that a woman, whose daughter’s marriage was stopped by officials, asked.

Child marriages are rampant in Medak, a district from where Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s hails. As many as 70 proposed child marriages were stopped in the last two months – from February 19th to April 18{+t}{+h}, that works out to one child marriage a day. These are the reported ones and none can say about those that go unreported or instances when marriages are performed after officials stopped it. Talking to The Hindu District Child Protection Officer Rantam said: “Usually, child marriages are conducted when the girls drop out of schools or when they need to be sent for further education. Parents or relatives produce fake date of birth certificates to convince officials about the bride’s age.” Officials dealing with child marriages are of the view that drought too was a reason for the marriages as the parents wanted to finish their responsibility.

“Elected members like sarpanches, MPTC and ward members are not cooperative. In some areas, they are also issuing fake age proof certificates, village-level staff are not informing about child marriages, and in some cases, the anganwadi teachers and VRO are performing marriages. Revenue officials are not cooperative. A special shelter is need for child marriage survivals,” said Director, Child Line, M.S. Chandra.