Child Marriages – A taboo

India is the country which contributes the highest number of child marriages in the world. The official age of a girl to marry in India is 18 and that of a boy is 21. However, there are places in India where this is not considered at all. People blatantly dishonor the law and perform child marriages. Pakistan, Bangladesh and some African countries also believe in child marriages. Child marriages are of mainly two types. One is when a girl child is married to a much older man so as to secure her future and two is when two families arrange the marriage between their children to strengthen ties or to finish family feuds. The second concept is prevalent amongst rich families of landlords or royal families. Child marriages are an open event in the interior parts of India. It is very difficult for the Government to keep an eye on marriages at remote places because of the vast area and huge population of India.

Child marriages might solve or resolve family feuds and other objectives but it has a very bad impact on the children. First the children have no sexual orientation and this creates a problem when they grow up. Second when they grow up they might realize that the spouse is not suitable but they have to accommodate and compromise with him or her. This causes mental instability in them. It also happens that when two people live together since childhood they tend to behave more like siblings than spouses. The physical attraction does not exist. They feeling of love towards a spouse might also not develop. If in case they get attracted to each other at the time of adolescence they might not have physically developed to enter into a relationship. This might harm the sexual anatomy of them.

Other problems that usually arise out of a child marriage are that usually the girl needs to discontinue her education, both might loose the charm of youth. They would not see the world on their own and would rather get packed in a shell. Another risk is that the earlier a girl gets married; the sooner is the probability of her becoming a mother leading to birth of unhealthy children. The mother herself would become weak while bearing a child.

Several attempts are being made by the Women and Child Welfare Ministry to abolish child marriages in India by the end of 2011. The task is not that easy as it is thought to be because child marriages are age old traditions and the ministry needs to organize a nationwide awareness drive to abolish child marriages. The educated citizen of these countries will have to come forward and participate in awareness drives. People have to be proactive to report any child marriage in their vicinity to the local authorities. Abolishing the child marriage needs to be like a revolution. And this revolution can only come along if people are made aware of the darker side of child marriages.

Linus Orakles

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