THE JOY of being pregnant with her first child lasted just a few hours for Menaka Doley Patir (name changed), a 17-year-old resident of a remote village (all the village names in the article have been withheld to protect identities) in Assam's Dhemaji district. The news of her pregnancy came after the state government launched a crackdown on child marriage on January 23, 2023, using the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA) along with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012 (POCso). In just a month, the Assam police had arrested over 3,000 people, mostly husbands and male family members of underage brides, from across the state. Menaka is a year younger than the official marriageable age of 18 years. If caught, her husband would face imminent arrest and imprisonment of up to 20 years under POCSO for committing sexual assault. Her family has taken the painful decision to undergo an abortion.
They are too terrified to go ahead with the pregnancy, as they know they will not be able to hide Menaka's age. As part of the crackdown, the government has directed hospitals and local health workers to record age-related details for each pregnancy and childbirth. Officials are using the document to identify underage marriages.
Fear grips the state as the crackdown widens. Families are sending underage brides to their parents' homes or to other places to give the raiding officials a slip. Many expectant mothers are opting for home deliveries to evade the authorities. Underage mothers have also stopped taking their children to hospitals over fears of getting identified. Pranita Phukan (name changed) from another village in Dhemaji district waited for four long days before taking her ailing infant to the nearby healthcare centre. By then, the infant had become so weak that he had to be referred to the district civil hospital.
Denne historien er fra March 01, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 01, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
