KOKRAJHAR: The Kokrajhar Press Club on Saturday organized a media orientation on child protection issues in Bodoland Territorial Region. The programme, participated by about 35 journalists, was organized considering the fact that media can play a major role in creating public awareness and influence policy decisions, particularly at a time when the government of Assam is in a mission to eliminate the social practice of child marriage.
The orientation programme assumes significance as media reports are a critical source of information for policy making and public awareness. The Kokrajhar Press Clubs intends to support building of the capacities of journalists in Kokrajhar and adjoining areas.
The Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar Barnali Deka, while speaking on the issue of child marriage said Kokrajhar district had high IMR and MMR percentage compared to the other districts in the country. Quoting the NFHS 5 data, the DC said that the district also has 36 per cent of women who were married before they attain 18 years of age.
President of the Kokrajhar Press Club Monalisa Sarma presided over the programme while member of the press club and senior journalist Malaya Deka felicitated the speakers and moderated the programme.
In Kokrajhar, “We have seen the issue of elopement of young boys and girls and getting married leading to early pregnancy. Early pregnancy is a major factor for high IMR and MMR percentage district,” she said while hailing the effort of the Kokrajhar Press Club on organizing the orientation programme.
Besides, the flagship campaigns of the government like the Beti Bachao Beti Padao, Mission Purna Shakti and others, the DC said that the district administration has taken steps to facilitate the officers to visit the schools and make the adolescent population aware about the ill effects of child marriage.
Speaking on the occasion Laxmi Chetri, Senior Programme Coordinator of ANT highlighted the social and gender aspect of child marriage and said there is a need to change the atmosphere in our society to address the issues like child marriage.
Most of the families have insecurity regarding the girl child. The increasing crime against women fuels this insecurity and pushes the parents to marry off their daughters early, she said adding that the fact that child marriage is increasing despite implementation of POCSO act is itself indicative that there are social issues that leads to the problem. Issues like poverty and displacement also lead to child marriages, Chetri said adding that there is a greater need to work on all levels including the media to stop this problem of child marriage.
Kokrajhar Superintendent of Police Pushpa Raj Singh highlighted that the victims of child marriages does not feel that they are victims. When a person feels that they are a victim, they can receive assistance. He continued, "Unfortunately, in child marriage cases, the child never feels like he or she is the victim," adding that there is also the dependency issue, which contributes to the issue.
“From the beginning the girl child is made dependent on her family. Initially she is dependent on parents and after marriage she is dependent on her husband. Financial independence of the girls can help fighting against child marriage, Singh said.
Jitu Dutta, chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Kamrup (Metro) district shared his vast experience of working for protection of child rights and highlighted that media should motivate the community on informing the concerned authority about the child right violation cases. He appreciated the recent action of the government against the child marriages but said that the authorities should be very careful in dealing with the child marriage cases. “We must understand that social stigma over the cases of elopement often makes the girls victims,” Dutta said.
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