Annual Report - National Human Rights Commission

Annexure 19
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D.O. No.8/3/95 – PRP&P March 18, 2005
Dear
The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 (CMRA) has been in force since 1929. The objective of
the legislation has been to restrain solemnization of child marriages as it is punishable under the
Act.
2. The Act has been in force for almost 75 years. However, it is unfortunate that the evil of
child marriage continues to exist even today in States like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh etc. It is on ‘Akshya Trutiya’, popularly known
as ‘Akha Teej’ when hundreds of child marriages are openly performed in violation of the
CMRA.
3. You would agree that the prevalence of the practice of child marriage is a stigma on society. In
order to eradicate this evil, there is need to generate public awareness so that the people at large
are educated about the demerits of child marriage as well as the prohibition contained in the Act.
I would request that a systematic effort should be made by the concerned Department of the
State Government/Union Territory in organising awareness programmes/campaigns to educate
people as well as sensitise them through the print and electronic media on the scourge of child
marriage so that the society at large may swerve away from this evil practice.
4. I would appreciate if the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme whereby
the existent three tier system consisting of the Child Development Project Officers, Supervisors
and Anganwadi workers could also be used to spread awareness against child marriages.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
Sd/-
(Nirmal Singh)
To
Chief Secretaries and Secretaries of Department of Women and Child Development/Social
Welfare of all States/Union Territories
National Human Rights Commission Annual Report - 2004-2005
335
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