In India, child marriage is widely practiced particularly in rural areas. Newspapers have recently reported solemnisation of thousands of marriages in Rajasthan during the festival of “Akha Teej” without any interference from the authorities. It is indeed surprising to note that the marriage of nine minor daughters of one Manu Singh was celebrated simultaneously in Gujarat. The most distressing fact is that even educated people deliberately break the law with full awareness of its consequences. Reports from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra point cut the gravity of the problem of child marriage in India. Children are considered to be the most precious legacy of a nation. They are to be nurtured, loved and protected. They deserve care, understanding and above all the best that man can offer. They have an inborn right to justice, freedom and opportunity for development irrespective of their nationality, caste, creed, and sex. Justice Subba Rao, the former Chief Justice of India emphasised this and said “Social justice begins with Children. Unless the tender plant is properly tended and nourished it has little chance of growing into strong and useful tree. So the first priority in the scale of social justice must be given to the welfare of the children.
Child marriage, Human rights, Bihar, Akhateej
