More officers essential to stop child marriage: Uttam
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 27 2024: Emphasising the need for increasing the number of Child Marriage Prevention Officers (CMPOs) to effectively prevent child marriages in the state, Social Welfare director Ngangom Uttam has conceded that presence of lone officer in a particular district could not tackle such illegal practice.

Speaking at a one-day state level sensitisation cum consultation workshop on 'Preventing Child Marriage in Manipur' organised jointly by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR), at the Loktak Hall of Manipur Press Club, here, on Friday, director Uttam noted that underage love affair and elopement frequently occurs in the state.

Often times, the elders briefly separate the underage couple after elopement so that they could complete their studies only for the couple to elope again, fearing that the separation would be permanent.

Such defiance angers the parents and then they get the young people married, who then faced mental, physical and financial distress.

While cases of parents taking care of all the needs of the underage couple and their subsequent offspring are rare, most of the cases with early marriages are full of difficulties, he elaborated.

Stating that preventing child marriage in Manipur is a difficult task fraught with danger, Uttam pointed out that until there are evidences suggesting that either the bride and groom or one of them is underage or are about to be married, the marriage cannot be stopped.

There have been cases of officers/staff threatened for trying to stop a marriage after the invitation to the groom (Bor Baton) was send out.

As such, there is need to increase the number of CMPOs, he remarked.

While confiding that order had been issued appointing EDMs, additional deputy commissioner/additional district magistrate in all districts as CMPOs, he said that executive officers at the municipality level and Panchayat secretaries at Panchayat levels have been also been entrusted to act as CMPOs.

If there is adequate number of CMPOs, then it would help in effectively preventing underage marriages, the director reiterated.

In his address, MCPCR chairperson Keisham Pradipkumar said both early and late marriage is not recommendable especially with regard to health.

In Manipur's context, Thoubal, Imphal West and Bishnupur districts recorded highest number of underage marriages, he informed while cautioning that adolescent girls, upon getting pregnant, become susceptible to various diseases apart from babies born with poor health and cases of domestic violence rampant.

Further stating that around 25,000 displaced persons of tender age staying in relief camps are exposes to the risk of early marriage, the chairperson informed that the Commission has been taking up steps to prevent such scenarios and advised parents not to deflect the matter of child marriage as private matter, as any such marriage could invite action under POCSO Act.

Furthermore, a Bill had been introduced to increase marriageable age of girl from 18 years to 21 and the same will be enforced at the earliest, he added.

The workshop was attended by Imphal East deputy commissioner Khumanthem Diana and Social Welfare Department joint director Bantee Konthoujam as presidium members.

During the technical session, High Court of Manipur advocate Thiyam Rajkishore spoke on 'Prevention of Child Marriages & Laws to Mitigate the Menace: The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021'; Women Action for Development secretary Sobita Mangsatabam on 'Understanding the Problem of Child, Marriage in Manipur'; Imphal East CMPO Reena Chanu Moirangthem on 'Monitoring the Impact of Child Marriage with Evidence and Research'; and MCPCR chairperson Pradipkumar on 'NCPCR/MCPCR and Safeguarding Child Rights and Laws' as resource persons.

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