Marriages destroy minor girls

Hyderabad: Child marriage brings death to the child. The minor girl is ruined physically, mentally and socially after getting married at a tender age. The parents should be counselled so that they become aware of the dangers of their act. “As the girl is a minor, her decision making powers have not matured. She believes her parents and enters marriage,” said  Dr. Diana Monteiro, a psychologist.

The reasons for the parents to opt for child marriage are different in rural and urban areas. “In rural areas, they simply believe that the girl needs to be married young. They are also not aware of the law. On the other hand, in urban areas, child marriage is conducted as a punishment if the girl is found to have a relationship. In such cases, her education is stopped and marriage conducted. City-dwellers, however, are aware of rules. But that does not bother them,” said Dr Purnima Nagaraja, another psychologist in the city. In most cases, there is a huge age difference. “The groom is often much older. Later, this causes depression,” added Dr Purnima.