Chennai records highest number of child brides in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: In neighbourhoods of Chennai, a metropolis that boasts of a rich culture and cosmopolitan outlook, there are families which are quietly organising marriages of their underaged daughters.

The city has the dubious distinction of being home to the highest number of child brides and grooms in Tamil Nadu, with social welfare officials admitting that during the wedding season there are quite a few child marriages that take place in the city and its adjoining Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.

According to Census 2011, Tamil Nadu had 2.15 lakh child brides (women marrying under 18 years of age), against 1.90 in Census 2001 -- an increase of 24,978 in 10 years. However, the number of child grooms (men marrying before turning 21) has dropped marginally to 1.64  lakh from  1.67 lakh in 2001 -- a fall of 2,685. It underlines the fact that girls are significantly more disadvantaged.

The city is home to 29,432 married children, including 16,343 child brides. Dispelling the commonly held notion that child marriages are rampant in the backward districts of Perambalur, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, the data reveals the dark secrets of high prevalence of the age-old practice in the highly urbanised districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur which together accounts for 20 per cent of 3.79 lakh child brides in the state.

Social welfare department officials and activists acknowledge there is a high prevalence of child marriages in these three districts, mostly, among low income groups  for various reasons. “Whenever we get a tip off, after ascertaining basic facts, we immediately intervene to stop the marriage and rescue the child. If necessary, the  girl child will be kept in safe custody in a government home,” said department sources.

In Chennai, most cases of child marriages pertain to elopement and parents themselves arranging the marriage in the pretext of girl’s security, mostly prevalent in slum areas and low income groups.

On September 16, Chennai district administration stopped the wedding of a 15-year-old girl in Mylapore following an alert from a neighbour to childline. The girl’s parents had arranged the marriage with her maternal uncle’s 25-year-old son after she allegedly eloped with him two times. “After getting a written undertaking, we let the family off with a strict warning that any attempt to marry the girl off before 18 years will be considered an offence and punishable with imprisonment,” the official said.

In Chennai, officials have stopped 18 child marriages since 2014. Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur officials stopped 26 and 47 weddings in the same period.  Strangely, most  parents are aware that child marriage is illegal. “Particularly, parents in slum areas cite girl’s security as a reason for arranging marriage.  Early marriage is one way to get rid of the “responsibility”,” the official added.

Sudha Ramalingam, an advocate and activist, attributed the increase in child marriages to revival of caste groups campaign against inter-caste and love marriages in the State. “To ensure that children do not go, according to them,

wayward, I think the families want to ensure that they married early. That’s why the entire community including near and dear ones also encourages it,” she told DC.  She also noted that factors like insecurity in parents' minds about the child's future, to prevent family wealth from going outside and protect family ties are cited for child marriages. “In Tiruttani, we found three or four children going to a government school with Thaali."

Since 2008, 2,789 child marriages have been stopped in Tamil Nadu out of which 1,246 were stopped from January 2014 to March 2015 alone. “Sadly many cases of child marriage go unreported. Even in cases of child marriage, which were stopped by officials, there are instances of families going ahead with the marriages secretly. There is complete lack of awareness on the impact of marriage on girl child,” said M. Andrew Sesuraj, state convener, Tamil Nadu Child Rights Observatory.

In 2014, Tamil Nadu invoked the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in 47 instances which is the highest in the country, as per the National Crime Records Bureau. Across the
country, 275 such cases were filed.

“With much awareness, we are getting information on child marriages from girl’s friends, relatives, siblings and neighbours. We have instructed all marriage halls and HR and CE officials not to allow any marriages without verifying the age of girls and boys,” a senior social welfare department official said.