With an aim to help terminate the extensively prevalent issue of child marriage in the country, over 45,000 tent vendors from the state of Rajasthan have decided to turn their backs towards those who facilitate the social evil.

The vendors, who come under the umbrella of the Rajasthan Tent Dealers Kiraya Vyavsai Samiti, have taken it upon themselves to closely verify and scrutinise the birth documents of the bride and groom, each time they're approached for wedding supplies.

Also Read: Shocking video: 6-year-old girls married off in Rajasthan

But their role doesn't just end there.

If there is a discrepancy in the birth certificates and they feel a child marriage is what is being planned, the association has also taken the responsibility of informing the nearest police station.

"If anyone comes to book us to supply the tent and do other decorations, we will ask for the birth certificate of the boy and girl to ensure it is not a child marriage. In case a person or group of persons gives us wrong information, we will immediately inform the police and other government officials for the required intervention," Ravi Jindal, the president of the group Rajasthan Tent Dealers Kiraya Vyavsai Samiti told The Times of India.

As horrific as the act of child marriage itself is, its prominence in some Indian states--Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka in particular--is what makes the situation all the more alarming.

The Logical Indian reports, "India ranks sixth in the world in the number of child marriages that happen every year. According to the Census report of 2011, nearly 17 million Indian children between the ages of 10 and 19 are married. Of this number, 76%, or 12.7 million, are minor girls."

Also Read: Child marriages in India: Explained in numbers

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, clearly states that "if a male has not completed 21 years of age, and if a female has not completed 18 years of age" then the marriage between the two is illegal and punishable by law.

But when has the law ever deterred criminals from committing crimes, anyway?

With its roots deeply-entrenched in the socio-cultural fabric of the nation, the implications of child marriage are as horrific as it gets--something that was reiterated through a recent incident in Chittorgarh, India. After a video showing a mass-wedding ceremony involving several little girls and boys who were crying and being forced to tie the knot, surfaced on the internet, the issue gained momentum and caused a major uproar across several social media platforms.

Watch: 3 arrested in Chittorgarh child marriage

Is there hope? It's bleak. In 2014, a UNICEF report had said that the abolition of child marriages in India will take another 50 years.

You heard us right. Even with the Rajasthan Tent Dealers Kiraya Vyavsai Samiti's new initiative coming as a refreshing change, we're only 48 years away from eliminating an evil that should have been done away with several decades ago.



Here is the video that surfaced a days ago and caused widespread anger and condemnation:

