Akshay Tritiya holds religious significance for Hindus. Many weddings take place all over the country, on this auspicious day. The ministry of women and child development in Rajasthan has big plans for Akshay Tritiya this year. By plans, we don’t mean organizing festivities, but holding surprise checks at local temples. HRD officers plan to visit religious sites, especially Ganesha temples on a daily basis. In Hinduism, people seek blessings of Lord Ganesha before starting an auspicious occasion. Therefore, all weddings that will fall from April 28 to May 9 will be thoroughly inspected by the officers. This is one of the several initiatives taken by the department to check child marriage in Rajasthan.
According to Ms. Anita Bhadel (Women and child development minister), it’s customary for Hindus to send their first invitation cards to the gods. Therefore, the officers will look for cards in Hindu temples. In case they find any disparities, they can track the bride/groom families with these cards.
Simultaneously, the local administration has instructed the natives to print the age of the couple on cards. In case they provide wrong information, they’ll be heavily penalized. Even the citizens have been requested to inform the police regarding minor marriages around them. The district collectors are braced up to take proper action against child marriage.
Child marriages are a popular concept in Rajasthan. Regardless of government schemes and public initiatives, such marriages happen regularly in State. The department takes regular initiatives to control the menace. However, sometimes, it’s hard due to lack of public cooperation. Considering the fact that religious leaders have a significant impact on local people, the department has sought help from popular religious leaders as well.
They’ve asked schools to keep a track on children, who’re absent for more than three days in a row. In case a child turns up with ‘haldi’ or ‘mehendi’ on his palm, they’ll have to provide a valid explanation. Simultaneously, they’ve shortlisted candidates of particular communities that are vulnerable to child marriages.
Having completed all the preparations, Ms. Bhadel is positive they’ll prevent any child marriage this year.
