Women have come out in large numbers to protest against the arrest of their husbands and sons as the Assam government launched a massive crackdown on child marriages.
The state-wide crackdown announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma began on Friday and will continue for the next six days.
“Why take only the men? How will we and or our children survive? We have no means of income,” a 55-year-old Niroda Doley of Majuli district told PTI.
A woman from Barpeta district, who did not wish to be named, said her son had eloped with a minor girl. “He made a mistake, but why arrest my husband?” she asked.
Monowara Khatoon of Morigaon said, “My daughter-in-law was 17 when she got married. Now she is 19 and five months pregnant. Who will look after her?”
Over 2,000 people have been arrested and 4,004 cases have been registered so far. The police said they have a list of 8,000 accused and the drive will continue. The police have arrested 51 purohits and kazis who conducted such wedding rituals in religious institutions.
Till Friday evening, the highest number of 137 arrests have been made in Biswanath district, followed by 126 in Dhubri, 120 in Baksa, 114 in Barpeta and 96 in Kokrajhar.
The state cabinet recently decided that those having married girls below 14 years of age will be booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, and cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 will be registered against those who have married girls in the 14-18 years age group.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said he has directed the police to act with a ”spirit of zero tolerance against the unpardonable and heinous crime on women”.
Assam has a high rate of maternal and infant mortality, with child marriage being the primary cause as an average of 31 per cent of marriages registered in the state are in the prohibited age.
