Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Thursday informed that the state government is contemplating to come up with a legislation to end rampant child marriage in the state.
Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh said child marriage in Meghalaya is rampant.
“(However), we are yet to be able to conduct a survey but it certainly is rampant especially as you go away from the city and towns. Therefore, we are contemplating a legislation to help the government to put an end to this major social evil of child marriage,” he said.
“We are contemplating such a legislation as of date today we have released the Khasi translation POCSO basically to create awareness among society that somebody who is a child cannot enter into matrimony, into wedlock.Therefore anybody who marries somebody who is a child is also culpable under POCSO,” he added.
Asked, Lyngdoh said that child marriage has contributed a lot to the school dropout rate in the state.
“It is a serious situation. One of the major drawbacks of society here in Meghalaya is this phenomenon of children getting married very early in life and it is a factor that has contributed to the school dropout rate,” he said while adding it has contributed to poverty in society as children who are still supposed to be pursuing their studies are already entering wedlock.
Stating that the department has done extensive research on the issue, Lyngdoh said, “We feel that there is now a need to create huge social awareness and today’s program is a step in that direction.”
He said that last year, the government has initiated an Early Child Development Mission, which basically focuses on the growth of a child, especially their capacity to think which is at its peak from the age of zero till eight years old.
“So an intervention like ECD would help to win parents into the correct path which is to collaborate with the government to allow that the formative stages of a child are best,” he added.
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