Child marriage -- a challenge for a society at crossroads

Child marriage continues to be a major issue in Haryana with people—especially with patriarchal mindset -- seeming to be in a hurry to marry off their daughters even before the legal age of 18 years.

As many as 4,538 complaints of child marriage in a decade reveals that it is a serious matter. However, on the ground, the situation is worse than these figures suggest with a large number of cases going unreported.

Concerned, the administration in all districts has made specific preparations to check such marriages, especially on Akshaya Tritiya — an auspicious occasion for weddings during which a spike in underage marriages is reported. The authorities have alerted stakeholders to verify the age of the bride and groom in such marriages.

The reasons behind child marriages are many though in almost all cases, ‘ghar ki izzat’ (family’s honour) is linked to the decision to marry off the girl child. Among the contributing factors are lack of education, ‘atta satta’ marriages (in which the bride’s family demands a bride for their marriageable son in exchange), fear of elopement and concerns over live-in relationships, etc.

Data from the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, collected between April 2014 and January 2025, reveals that 2016-17 reported the highest number of complaints (675) of child marriage. Last year (2024) showed a declining trend with 294 complaints (the second lowest in 10 years) reported in the state.

Among the districts with the highest incidence, while Sirsa reported 481 complaints, Panipat and Fatehabad reported 476 and 438, respectively, making them the top three districts. Mewat reported 388 complaints of child marriage during the decade.

The data reveals that Haryana’s society is juxtaposed between the contradictions of tradition and modernity when it comes to breaking the customary shackles on women. People go gaga over the achievements of women in sports, education or any other field. But on the other hand, a section of society, still nurturing a regressive belief system, wants the marriageable age of girls lowered, citing concerns about love affairs and live-in relationships.

A major section of khap panchayats is demanding that the legal marriageable age for girls be lowered. In a recent meeting with Haryana Commission for Women chairperson Renu Bhatia, khap leaders from Jind proposed a reduction in the legal marriageable age for girls from 18 to 16 and called for stricter regulations on love marriages and live-in relationships.

Contrary to this, ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaigner Sunil Jaglan has demanded an increase in the marriage age for girls from 18 to 21. “At 18, girls are not physically and mentally ready to get married, take on family responsibilities or bear children,” he said.

Surender Singh Maan, Chief Executive Officer of Mission to the Desperate and Destitute of India, an NGO working against child marriages in 14 districts of Haryana, said, “This data should serve as a wake-up call. While reporting has improved, the focus now must shift to preventing these marriages before these happen.”