The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Creating awareness on child marriage need of the hour

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Sunday, Feb 06, 2011
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Creating awareness on child marriage need of the hour

Staff Reporter

Photo: Special Arrangement

Collector V. Arun Roy (left) unveiling the plaque to mark the inauguration of classrooms at the N. Vellalapatti Government High School, near Uthangarai, recently. —

UTHANGARAI: Creating awareness on child marriage among girls and their parents is the need of the hour, said Collector V. Arun Roy here on Thursday.

Inaugurating a seminar on “Prevention of Child Marriages and Increase the Marriage Age” organised by the Family Welfare Department, Mr. Roy said the evil of child marriage was a cause for concern.

Though the government and the district administrations were taking various measures to prevent such crimes, it continues in a small way.

As part of creating awareness, a rally, cultural programmes and medical camps were conducted in Uthangarai.

Over thousand people participated in the rally.

Poverty, illiteracy and other economic issues were the main reasons for the evil. To alleviate it, the government had introduced free education up to the college level under various welfare schemes.

Representatives of the local bodies, officials and NGOs should work in tandem to create awareness on the evils that affect the society.

The government brought a stringent law that would punish the parents and perpetrators, who were responsible for the child marriages.

It would attract a punishment of up to three years imprisonment and Rs. 1 lakh fine, the Collector said.

“The district administration is getting information about the child marriages from the school children, but not from the parents and elders. Based on the information, over 10 child marriages were stopped during the past six months,” Mr. Roy added.

P. Dillibabu, Harur MLA, M.R. Rajendran, Chairman, District Panchayat, and S. Jayalakshmi, Chairman, Uthangarai Town Panchayat, spoke on the occasion.

Dr. M. Palaniammal, Joint Director, Health Services and officers from various departments and representatives from various NGOs participated in the rally and seminar.

Later, Mr. Roy inaugurated new buildings for two classrooms constructed at the N. Vellalapatti Government High School in the presence of P. Dillibabu, Harur MLA, G. Murthy, Chief Educational Officer and other local body representatives.

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