Drive against child marriage to continue, will end the menace by 2026: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the drive against child marriage would continue in order to achieve the state government's target to end the menace by 2026.

"Some people may criticise the arrests of so many people involved in child marriage. But let me tell today that we will take stringent measures to end the menace by 2026," Sarma said in the ongoing budget session of the Assembly, while replying to a question by Congress MLA Kamalakshya Dey Purkayastha

The state government recently informed the Assembly that Assam reported 4,670 incidents of child marriage since April 2021 and 3,483 persons have been arrested so far under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. The drive was launched on February 3 following a decision of the state Cabinet.

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Sarma on Monday said that most of those arrested did not get bail. "I am hopeful that 90 per cent of them will be convicted. We will engage good lawyers to ensure that they are convinced," he said.

He also slammed the intellectuals who criticised the step for booking many accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act.

According to the details furnished by the state home department, Dhubri district topped the list of child marriage cases and arrests followed by Kokrajhar, South Salmara, Udalguri, Bongaigaon, Hojai, Cachar, Karimganj and Morigaon districts. The state government said although the "crackdown" is not targeted against any community, child marriage has been found rampant in the districts with majority population of Bengali-speaking Muslims. The child marriage is also a concern in areas inside tea estates and in tribal communities.

NGOs and child rights activists, however, said that lack of schools, poverty and poor awareness were major reasons resulting child marriages, particularly in the char or riverine areas, mostly inhibited by the Muslims.