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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announce plans for a second phase of action against child marriage in Assam. During this upcoming campaign, he stated that approximately 3000 more to be arrested. Building on a previous crackdown earlier this year.
Previous Crackdown
In February of the current year, the Assam government initiated an unprecedented punitive operation targeting child marriages. Within a month, around 3,141 individuals were arrested. These arrests encompassed men who had entered into marriages with underage girls, as well as family members and religious leaders who had facilitated such unions.
3000 more to be arrested Sarcastic Remarks
Speaking at the National Executive of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Guwahati. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his intent to continue the fight against child marriage. He noted, “Six months ago, I had gotten 5,000 people arrested for child marriage. I was waiting for G-20 [summit to conclude], and now, within 10 days, another 3,000 men will be arrested for child marriage.”
He emphasized the urgency of this issue, stating, “This (child marriage) needs to be stopped. There is a law made that this should not happen, but if this keeps happening time and again, then the daughters of a particular section will never be able to go ahead. They will always be the targets of oppression”.
3000 more to be arrested Targeted
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that the second round of arrests would primarily focus on those involved in child marriages. Which occurred after the initial crackdown earlier this year. Now he targeted 3000 men to arrest in the second phase of the crake down.
Demographics and Districts
Analysis of arrest records from the previous crackdown revealed that 62.24% of those apprehended were Muslims. While the remainder belonged to the Hindu and other communities. District wise statistics showed that the top five districts with the highest number of arrests were Nagaon (224), Hojai (219), Dhubri (217), Baksa (179), and Barpeta (174). Baksa, a Lower Assam district with a mixed population, saw Hindus and others constituting 62.64% of those arrested. While the other four districts were predominantly Muslim.
Government’s Commitment
Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed concerns about the crackdown being misconstrued. Particularly with regard to Muslim communities, stating, “Today, some people say that I am anti-Muslim. But I think that by ending [triple] talaaq, polygamy and child marriage, the amount of work we’re doing for Muslims, no government of the Congress has ever done. We don’t see them as a vote back. We want that there be liberty and freedom for women from oppression” Sarma further expressed the government’s determination to “completely eradicate” child marriage in Assam by the year 2026, emphasizing the importance of women’s rights and welfare.
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