GUWAHATI: In an unfortunate incident, the Assam police has detained at least six persons including the bride for their links to child marriage in Assam's Golakganj on Tuesday night.
According to reports, the groom, a father of two children, has been identified as Ainul Haque and he has been detained by the cops in relation to this case.
The cops have also detained a man identified as Shahabuddin Mir for attempting to perform the child marriage.
In addition to it, three more individuals going by the name of Rafiq Sarkar, Najrul Sheikh and Dhanuddin Sheikh have also been detained by the police.
The bride, groom and parents were detained from the wedding venue by the Assam police during a search operation against child marriage.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Assam State Committee for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), Shyamal Prasad Saikia, on Tuesday said that the state has faced stiff challenges related to gender discrimination, particularly concerning the rights and education of girls, including child marriages.
Saikia emphasized the vital role of monitoring agencies like ASCPCR in supervising the enforcement of laws and programs intended towards preventing child marriages by the respective authorities.
Saikia noted that the Assam government, known for its proactive approach against child marriage, is ramping up efforts to tackle this social menace.
ASCPCR, in partnership with Child Marriage Free India and with the support of its coalition partner Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), convened the consultation to deliberate on strategies to eradicate child marriage in Assam by 2030.
Dhananjay Tingal, the executive director of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, commended the Assam government for its dedication, describing it as a national role model.
He praised the state's allocation of a 200 crore budget to eradicate child marriage in Assam, along with provisions for rehabilitating victims.
It is worth noting that the most recent National Family Health Survey V (NFHS 2019-21) showed a decrease in the prevalence of child marriage in Assam since early 2023.