It was a parent teacher meeting (PTM) of a different kind that was held in the tribal pockets across Odisha on Sunday. Instead of parents being briefed about academic progress shown by their wards, they were sensitized to prevent child marriages at their homes and localities.
With child marriages posing a huge societal problem in the tribal belt, the SC and ST Development Department had directed over 1,700 schools to discuss this social evil in their PTMs.
Tribal parents were told that girls younger than 15 are five times more likely to die in child births than women in their 20s.
“A child marriage between a boy and girl below 18 years of age will be psychologically stressful including in areas of health, education, economy and decision-making. Child brides face higher rates of domestic violence, maternal mortality and infant mortality,” said the department.
The PTM’s initiative assumed huge significance in the wake of the high rate of child marriages reported across the State, especially in tribal areas in the two years of the pandemic. Ranipokhari, a tribal-dominated panchayat in Mayurbhanj district, had alone reported 122 child marriages in 2020 and 2021.
Children, especially girl students in residential schools, were reported to have got married when they were sent home during COVID-19 pandemic. Child marriage was one of the reasons that many girls students had not turned up for their matriculation (Standard-X) examination. Even some dropped out in smaller classes as in Class VI.
Parents or guardians were informed that they would attract punishment for conducting child marriages. Parents or whoever performs, conducts, directs or abets child marriage would be punishable under law.
Parents were clearly told who all could be the offenders. Parents, priests, relatives, neighbours, community leaders, marriage bureaus, traffickers, the bridegroom if he is above the age of 18, caterers and other service providers, all could face legal consequences if found performing or promoting child marriage. Also, any organisation promoting, permitting or participating in child marriage would also face punishment.
Anthropologists attribute the prevalence of child marriages to the tradition and culture of tribal societies. If an underage girl-and-boy elope, parents approve of their marriage in haste by taking the community into confidence. In some cases, parents themselves force their children into wedlock.
