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Alert Govt. officials prevent child marriage in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: Nine-year-old Mona, a third class student, was on Sunday prevented from entering into a wedlock when the Gurgaon district administration persuaded her parents not to marry her off at this tender age.

Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Gupta said that the marriage was to be solemnised in village Nathupur. He disclosed that the marriage of two daughters of Mahaveer Singh of village Nathupur was fixed for today and the barat was to come from village Naya Baas in Delhi. The elder daughter Leela was of marriageable age but the family wanted to get the younger one Mona married off too along with her sister in the same ceremony.

However, the Circle Anganwari Supervisor Seema came to know about these plans and she immediately reported the matter to Mr.Gupta who in turn asked her to take the ‘Sakshar Mahila Samuh’( group of educated women) and Village Level Committee of the village into confidence and persuade the mother of the minor girl not to go ahead with the “illegal” marriage.

Mr.Gupta said that Seema along with the women folk of village Nathupur succeeded in making the mother Mundra realize the ill consequences of an early marriage and she assured them that Mona would not be married and rather she would be allowed to complete her studies first. However, suspense prevailed whether the child marriage would take place till the time the rituals were to be performed today.

The Deputy Commissioner also sounded the concerned police officials to remain vigilant to prevent child marriage from happening and Programme Officer of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) Sunaina also monitored the situation. Despite the assurance from the mother, all eyes were set on the barat coming from village Naya Baas. When the barat arrived in the village, the presence of only one bridegroom who got married to the elder daughter Leela evoked a sigh of relief from the district officials.

Mr.Gupta said that Seema and the child’s mother Mundra and the dedicated team of educated village women had succeeded in their mission of preventing a child marriage.

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