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.
This story is from the March 01, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 01, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
