In a shocking statistic revealed by a survey by CRY, an NGO that focuses on Child Rights, there has been a 40 percent increase in child marriage and marriage of adolescents within the age group of 10-19 years in Tamil Nadu, in the month of May 2020, with 318 cases recorded from the operational areas of CRY, which is an NGO that focuses on Child Rights.
In a shocking statistic revealed by a survey by CRY, an NGO that focuses on Child Rights, there has been a 40 percent increase in child marriage and marriage of adolescents within the age group of 10-19 years in Tamil Nadu, in the month of May 2020, with 318 cases recorded from the operational areas of CRY, which is an NGO that focuses on Child Rights.
“In 2021, with Covid-19 taking on a bigger stature than ever before, children were undergoing unfortunate instances of violations, unless there was timely intervention. To worsen the situation, May being a month dotted with auspicious dates, children became more vulnerable to being married off, during this time. Data further revealed that this has been the alarming situation in four districts, covering 10 blocks and 72 tribal hamlets, namely Salem, Dharmapuri, Ramnad and Dindigul (Kodaikanal)," according to CRY.
According to CRY's recent survey, of the four districts, Salem recorded 60 instances of child marriages in the month of May 2019, which rose to 98 in May 2020, while Dharmapuri that saw around 150 cases in 2019, recorded 192 cases in May 2020. The rise in the singular month is due to several muhurthams (auspicious dates) with Covid-19 protocols further accelerating the process.
"Due to the pandemic, there has been a struggle to gather information. The above-mentioned numbers are indicative of a worrying trend that we need to be mindful of. Since the two waves of Covid, most of the educational centers have been closed or distance education has come to play. With no education, thinning out of resources for underprivileged families and patriarchal mindset, child rights violation became more rampant,” said John Roberts, General Manager, Development Support, CRY.
Crying foul over the alarming situation, CRY further said that according to the latest Census Report (2011), 8.69 percent of the girls aged below 19 years are married in Tamil Nadu. Known for caste politics and giving importance to caste above everything, Dharmapuri topped the statistic at 11.9 percent while Salem, industrial area stood at 10.9 percent. These are two districts with the highest number of child marriage instances. This is also indicative of the potential of the child violations in a few select districts, making child rights organizations take strict precautionary steps than ever before.
Acting on it, Jeyam, Head of the Salem People Trust said, “We have to keep a constant vigil to ensure the situation does not worsen for many underprivileged families and their children during this time of the year. We are in constant guard and are reaching out to as many families as possible to stem the rising trend.”
“While the Government is having to extend all resources towards managing the Covid situation, the issue of child marriages also needs focus. The Covid waves are claiming more lives than ever before, but on the other hand, child marriages and other protection issues are social diseases which claim children’s rights. Special attention and focus have to be given to address their issues,” reiterated Chella Selvakumar, former Tamil Nadu Head of the Committee of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR).
He also added that creating awareness and giving voice to children, along with strengthening the Village Child Protection Committee are some of the immediate steps that can be taken to build a safe and happy future for the children of our nation. “Ensuring they have a safe future should not be an isolated but a collective effort of a conscious society,” emphasised Chella Selvakumar.