According to sources a couple who wishes to get married at any wedding auditorium in kerala should provide proof of their age, says a recent circular by the Urban Affairs Department of the state. Meanwhile men wishing to get married should have completed 21 years of age and women should be at least 18 years old. If this is not followed, the license of the establishment would be cancelled, according to the kerala Municipality Act.
Advocate Naseer Chaliyam, a member of the commission says “This is one of the methods being used to prevent child marriage in the state. The Child Rights Commission has given the recommendation and the government order was issued to all the Corporations in the state”. Previously the commission has initiated several steps to bring down child marriage, like conducting awareness programs in schools, colleges and tribal areas, Naseer adds. “We also submitted that a case of child marriage should be charged under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, and the government issued an order in this regard.”
The new circular was released by the Urban Affairs Department after the Child Rights Commission received a complaint from the palakkad Childline authorities that child marriages are taking place at wedding auditoriums and other establishments in the district, and that even after they tried to interfere, it is still happening.
