Several incidents have happened in the district with the schools shut due to the pandemic lockdown imposed.
Coimbatore: Experts working on the welfare of school going students say the lack and absence of counselling and awareness session to the students have become a sole reason for the rise in child marriage in the district.
Several incidents have happened in the district with the schools shut due to the pandemic lockdown imposed. The district, in 2021, compared to the previous year, has seen a spike in the number of students getting married. The child marriages in the district rose to 21 whereas it was just three in 2020, said the source within the social and child welfare department under district administration control.
The officer also said the married minors cases have been registered under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Upon getting the tip off, we were able to stop at least 41 marriages that were scheduled to happen in the district, said the source. However, it is also said that Madukkarai, Sulur, Karamadai and its surroundings reported a higher number of child marriages. Dr. Saranya Jaikumar, member of Tamil Nadu Commission of Protection of Child Rights said the state government has taken a step to combat child marriages and book everybody involved in the menace under the relevant sections.
She said not only the lack and absence of counselling lead to child marriages but also the poverty within the family of a child can be the reason too. “Many students are dropping out from schools due to poverty and other reasons which result in marriage. Parents think they can’t protect their girl child for long and come to the conclusion that marriage is only the next step” Saranya added.
City based psychiatrists say that the students are hardly hit by the new normal. They are already going through mental illness due to the online classes and have no idea what to do. However, their parents are also the reason why the cases are rising, the doctor noted. “The parents must also go for counselling and attend awareness programmes on the child marriage. They should first be given all the information regarding this and inculcated the pros and cons” the doctor added.
Seeing many patients in this regard, the psychiatrist also added that many girls across the state who had been forced to marry are because of their parents' choices. The poverty within the poor family becomes a reason to force their child to get married. “Parents think if they get their child married the family woes will be reduced, which is oblivious to the consequences”.
Besides, the teachers and others who go to schools on a regular basis from the government side to give counselling, say with the lockdown in place and schools shut, it is impossible to give them the session and adding online sessions won’t be the best way. Meanwhile, a class 10th student aged 16-years had lodged a complaint against her parents for forcing her to marry a 26-years-old man from Komangalam near Pollachi.
Reacting to the complaint of the girl, the child rights protection committee alerted the police and the police officials have booked both the parents under relevant section and arrested the groom under POCSO.
Several incidents have happened in the district with the schools shut due to the pandemic lockdown imposed. The district, in 2021, compared to the previous year, has seen a spike in the number of students getting married. The child marriages in the district rose to 21 whereas it was just three in 2020, said the source within the social and child welfare department under district administration control.
The officer also said the married minors cases have been registered under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Upon getting the tip off, we were able to stop at least 41 marriages that were scheduled to happen in the district, said the source. However, it is also said that Madukkarai, Sulur, Karamadai and its surroundings reported a higher number of child marriages. Dr. Saranya Jaikumar, member of Tamil Nadu Commission of Protection of Child Rights said the state government has taken a step to combat child marriages and book everybody involved in the menace under the relevant sections.
She said not only the lack and absence of counselling lead to child marriages but also the poverty within the family of a child can be the reason too. “Many students are dropping out from schools due to poverty and other reasons which result in marriage. Parents think they can’t protect their girl child for long and come to the conclusion that marriage is only the next step” Saranya added.
City based psychiatrists say that the students are hardly hit by the new normal. They are already going through mental illness due to the online classes and have no idea what to do. However, their parents are also the reason why the cases are rising, the doctor noted. “The parents must also go for counselling and attend awareness programmes on the child marriage. They should first be given all the information regarding this and inculcated the pros and cons” the doctor added.
Seeing many patients in this regard, the psychiatrist also added that many girls across the state who had been forced to marry are because of their parents' choices. The poverty within the poor family becomes a reason to force their child to get married. “Parents think if they get their child married the family woes will be reduced, which is oblivious to the consequences”.
Besides, the teachers and others who go to schools on a regular basis from the government side to give counselling, say with the lockdown in place and schools shut, it is impossible to give them the session and adding online sessions won’t be the best way. Meanwhile, a class 10th student aged 16-years had lodged a complaint against her parents for forcing her to marry a 26-years-old man from Komangalam near Pollachi.
Reacting to the complaint of the girl, the child rights protection committee alerted the police and the police officials have booked both the parents under relevant section and arrested the groom under POCSO.