Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced today that the state aims to completely wipe out child marriages by...
Digital Desk: In a determined move to eradicate the menace of child marriage, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced today that the state aims to completely wipe out child marriages by 2026. Speaking to the media, CM Sarma expressed confidence that by the specified year, instances of child marriage in Assam would be a thing of the past.
"I think by 2026 child marriage will be wiped out from Assam. After this assembly, we are going to stop polygamy as well. So both will be stopped," CM Sarma said.
The commitment to combat child marriage comes in the wake of recent law enforcement actions. In October of this year, Assam police arrested 1,039 men on charges related to marrying underage girls or facilitating and solemnizing child marriages. This follows a similar crackdown in February when approximately 3,000 individuals were named in FIRs in the first concerted effort against child marriage.
Providing a glimpse of the gravity of the issue, CM Sarma revealed that a total of 3,907 people had been arrested in the last five years in connection with child marriages. Over 3,000 of these arrests involved charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In a bid to fortify these efforts, CM Sarma also announced the upcoming introduction of a law against polygamy in the next assembly session. These measures underscore the government's commitment to ensuring the welfare and protection of children in the state.
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