Malappuram (Kerala): Data from the last census of 2011, released by the Registrar General of India, show that over 23,183 married girls were below the age of 15 years in Kerala.
To put it in another way, 0.604 per cent of all girls in Kerala were married prematurely and illegally. To top it, it was shown that as many as 10,175 children were born to these child brides. Malappuram recorded the highest number of married minors with 3,615. Child marriages still prove a major challenge to Child Marriage Prohibition Officers. The approval to these illegal marriages from local political and religious leaders remain a hurdle for these CMPOs.
“We find it really difficult since family members, neighbours, local politicians and even the local community leaders refuse to cooperate, in most cases. In some instances, some CMPOs have even been made scapegoats for stepping in. In most cases it is tough to gather evidence strong enough to stand in court – so convictions, naturally, are very rare,” one of the 29 CMPOs working in Malappuram district said.
CMPOs in Malappuram could thwart only three child marriages in 2011, prevent as many as 37 in 2012, and 63 in 2013. The number of aborted child marriages touched 100 in 2014. “As of end-August this year, we have stopped 49 child marriages,” a CMPO official said.
