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Stress is on health concerns

More than lowering the marriageable age, the flaw is in the almost identical threshold of male and female eligibility. That runs counter to the sensible practice across many different societies and cultures worldwide of the male being senior to the female in a marriage. The custom has been continuing for biological, social, economic and psychological reasons, which no law can ignore or overtake.

The Law Commission may see merits in its idea, but it should see more of them, dictated by commonsense, which is: if a margin or interval is curtailed, it is prone to unhealthy pressure building up within.

Modern lifestyles, food varieties and consumption habits do hasten biological maturity, but not, as the reality everywhere shows, the emotional or psychological kind, which, in a marriage, is more important.

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

The Law Commission has committed a mistake in proposing to reduce the minimum age for marriage of boys to 18 from the present 21. It is high time that the minimum age of girls be increased to 21, as doctors advise not to become pregnant before the age of 21. This will affect their health as childhood features will not be outgrown by the age of 18. Why does the Law Commission not suggest increasing the minimum age of girls to 21, and that of boys to 24?

It is true that at the age of 18, one becomes major and has the power to vote. But this is not the case in a marriage. Usually, by the age of 19, he becomes a father and a family’s responsibility is on his shoulders. At present, the chances of acquiring a job at the age of 18 are also low. How can he lead a family without a job?

There is at least a 50 per cent increase in chances of divorce and family problems if the marriage time is fixed at 18.

S.N. Thiruvazhiode

Poonithura

Various measures adopted so far in order to control the population explosion have not borne much fruit. In this context statutorily reducing the marriage age of boys to 18 years will be an impetus to produce children at a very early age. Also, merely attaining the age of 18 years does not necessarily make a boy mature enough to take care of a family. This will also add to the tendency for divorce.

Ambalath Aboobakar

Pavaratty

Minimum age for marriage should be fixed at 20 for both girls and boys. By that time, both girls and boys should have the capacity to lead a family by acquiring some job and the maturity to become the father/mother of a child by the age of 21.

The age of 18 is too young to be married and to become a father or mother. Also, the age below which unions are declared void should be changed from 16 to 18, as the present age for marriage of girls is 18.

P. Sankaranarayanan

Thripunithura

Many a times, age is not maturity and emotional maturity in the Indian social milieu does not dawn at 18, especially for boys. Educationally, socially and emotionally, a boy at 18 is ill-equipped to shoulder the responsibilities of marriage. He would have just completed his higher secondary education and will take at least four more years to land a decent job, after which he can start thinking about a family life. And this is only the case of well-to-do urban or middle-class Indians, who constitute a fragment of the populace. For the other section, life is just fighting at that age. Also, this so-called gender disparity is not without logic as nature has provided men and women with different levels of emotional quotient. In fact, it is not disparity per se and is actually the time to evolve oneself as a complete individual. The Law Commission states that its proposal is primarily aimed at curbing child marriages. Lowering the age bar alone will not help to bring down child marriages. On the other hand, child marriage is a customary refuge of people who are in the middle of teething poverty, ignorance and deprivation. In fact, raising the bar to 21 for both boys and girls would be a better option, given the educational and employment opportunities in the country.

Seema Sarath

Kidangoor

For centuries, our society looked upon husband as the only earning member of the family. That may be one of the reasons for fixing 21 years as the minimum age of marriage for boys and 18, for girls. Now, if a boy of 18 marries a girl of 18 or 20, how will they run a family? What job would he or she get at such a young age? It would be better to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls from 18 to 21 rather than to reduce the minimum age for boys. Such a decision can also remove the disparity that exists now, can’t it? The implementation of the proposal would only encourage young lovers to hasty marriages. A youth would definitely be more mature at 21 than he/she was at 18.

Lekshmi Vallabhassery

Kottayam

If the Law Commission’s recommendations are accepted, the standard of higher education would definitely come down, the rate of dowry and divorce would increase and our wards would be pushed behind globally in most competitive fields, affecting our economy.

A sensible boy would seriously think of marriage only after making sure that he can support, at least, his wife. A boy at the age of 17/18 would just be out of school, and, in most cases, would aspire for higher studies, to make him eligible to get a job. Optimistically, a bright student can aspire to get a handsome salary only at the age of 20/21, which can meet most of his financial desires.

It may be recalled that Senator Barack Obama had stressed the need for an education system that enables their children to compete with those from India and China. Does it not imply that our present policies and systems are giving us the rewards?

It must be borne in mind that Indians are more fertile. Our elders believed that Brahmacharya should be observed till education is completed.

Considering all these facts, we can either choose to accept the recommendations and perish due to the dreadful consequences of an increase in population.

K.V. Mallan

Kochi

A family is not child play. For this, sufficient education, maturity, age, job, situations, etc. is necessary. 21 is the right age and there is no need of reducing it to 18.

It is true that in some communities, marriage is conducted at the age of 18 or even below 18. But, we cannot accept it as the national age for marriage. The Law Commission’s suggestion is not acceptable.

Neelandon Kuruvattoor

Ottappalam

The move to reduce the minimum age of marriage for boys from 21 to 18 is certainly a regressive move. According to Indian norms, Indian brides are usually younger than boys. It would have a bad impact on the future of young girls in India. There would also be undue family pressure on boys. The need of the hour is neither increasing nor decreasing the present age but proper implementation of the existing law.

Mary Joshy

Kottayam

There is no crying need in the society to reduce the marriageable age of boys to 18 from 21. Maybe the Law Commission should start mulling about an upper age limit in these days of increased longevity. Boys rushing to tie the knot at 21 are now very rare. Marriages are not tied with age any longer. These rules were relevant when elders decided on the marriage of their sons. But today, more than the elders’ opinion, stability in life, earnings and circumstantial responsibilities have a say in taking the decision. With personal law existing in this country being quite different for various sects and religions, age of marriage, if fixed, will have to be changed according to the privileges granted by personal laws.

M. Ramankutty

Thripunithura

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