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JAIPUR: Tent dealers in the Indian state of Rajasthan have decided not to provide wedding tents for child marriages, in a move to discourage the practice, reported the Times of India.
The decision was taken by Rajasthan Tent Dealers Kiraya Vyavsai Samiti, an association of tent dealers in the state of Rajasthan.
Tent dealers will now ask the parents of the bride and groom for birth certificates to ensure they are not facilitating the practice of child marriages. If the birth certificates prove that minors are being wed, the tent dealers will immediately inform the police.
The practice of child marriage is rampant in the districts of Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu. The period of April to May is also regarded as auspicious to solemnise such weddings.
The decision by the tent dealers association was taken in a meeting held on Friday.
Ravi Jindal, president of the association, confirmed that birth certificates will be required before they provide logistics for the marriage, and if an individual or group gives information which is not correct, the nearest police station will be informed.
The United Nations in 2014 adopted the first-ever resolution calling on governments to stop child marriages, despite misgivings from countries who had hoped to include sex education as key to preventing the practice.
About 15 million girls worldwide become child brides each year and globally, more than 700 million women were married before the age of 18.
Niger, Bangladesh and India have high rates of child marriages, but are also prevalent in immigrant communities in developed countries.
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On DawnNews
Comments (31) Closed
Apr 30, 2016 04:37pm
One more sign of progressive thought in India.
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Apr 30, 2016 04:44pm
Child marriage should invoke stricter punishment for all the adults involved and not just the parents
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Apr 30, 2016 04:50pm
Send children school and stop this 7,8,9,10,11.12.13.14 or more years getting married to older men don't sell ur children love them and make them happy when they ready then get them married off and give them choice if they don't like the man they getting married to then don't do it,, this should be the law of the country? So sorry for the children around the world
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Apr 30, 2016 04:52pm
@Vectra - This "progressive thought" had to come from tent dealers? Commendable though the thought is, it's the government which should make and implement good laws.
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Apr 30, 2016 05:08pm
@Harmony-1© Laws are already there and sometimes dealt with impunity.But as society to change,the literacy rate is what is required.
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Apr 30, 2016 05:43pm
Excellent initiative on behalf of Rajasthani tent dealers. If governments are failing to solve domestic problems, it is the society that needs to stand up and set an example ...
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Apr 30, 2016 05:47pm
@Pendu Well said!
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Apr 30, 2016 05:57pm
What a great step. Hats off to the Tent Association.
This is how a country develops. Everyone has to play their part in order to achieve positive results.
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Apr 30, 2016 06:42pm
Child marriage is a social problem and the answer should be social like this. Good job
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Apr 30, 2016 07:15pm
Harmony-1©precisely what is wrong with the Pakistan society....you seem to be over reliant on governments....and look where it has landed you...what you need to understand is that governments are just a spoke in the overall functioning machinery of governance...and it can only do so much to implement policies and initiatives...the society also needs to do its part for a wholistic desired result...everybody needs to do their bit and contribute...the faster your society understands this the better...dont just be a bystander....
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Apr 30, 2016 07:16pm
Good show. :):) As literacy improves, and as social mores change, old habits will be laid to rest.:)
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Apr 30, 2016 07:21pm
@Harmony-1© I saw a video on the Youtube where one REHMAN MALIK is thrown off a PIA flight for he made the passengers wait for two hours and the plane got delayed.
That was nice to see. People standing up for themselves.
No number of laws can prevent people doing what they feel like. The initiative has to come from bottom up and not top down.
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Apr 30, 2016 07:42pm
@Saima Change begins with us!:) You got it right. Ever tried to kick a bad habit?:)
I have and I have found it to be very,very hard!:):)
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Apr 30, 2016 07:43pm
Hats off to the Tent association
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Apr 30, 2016 07:43pm
@melvin - "the society also needs to do its part for a wholistic desired result".
Yes, that is why I said its "commendable". But the government and the government's institutions with all their powers play the main part.
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Apr 30, 2016 07:47pm
@Harmony-1©
You are so out of touch with reality. There are laws against child marriage but if people don't report it, police won't even know unless Police is made to attend every marriage. So when people, who are not part of administration, take initiative and risk the business loss, this is what makes society progressive.
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Apr 30, 2016 08:04pm
good move
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Apr 30, 2016 08:36pm
Indian society is developing.
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Apr 30, 2016 09:03pm
@Diplomat - So does it not mean then government machinery needs to get better as well. I know the 'reality', its not dissimilar to ours!
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Apr 30, 2016 10:04pm
@Harmony-1© I am from Rajasthan. There are laws to prevent child marriage and if someone complains then parents are sent to jail. Govt. can make laws, and we are suppose to follow those but it is not case in our countries. We like to disobey these laws. However, I have seen that people 's mentality is changing and they are avoiding these child marriages.
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Apr 30, 2016 11:23pm
@Harmony-1© : Change always occurs at grassroots. In societies like India and Pakistan, people are more afraid of being outcast from society than afraid of laws. Generally the thought of "padosi kya kahenge", drives our societies. So we need to bring change at root level so much that anyone attempting child marriage will be afraid of society rather than law. When we behave like this - we don't even need laws.
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Apr 30, 2016 11:36pm
@Harmony-1© The government can only do so much. It's for the society to evolve and become educated. The people who support child marriages in Rajasthan are primitive. Getting people like these to evolve is a huge challenge.
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May 01, 2016 12:13am
On the other hand we would wish if Pakistani Tent Dealers did the same, but they won't due to greed and following in the footprints of corrupt leaders, . .
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May 01, 2016 12:37am
Need a more honest, vigil and swift police force. If police decides, this can be stopped immediately. On the side, more education and awareness needs to be spread about this evil.
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May 01, 2016 02:31am
Great move... indeed the signs of change
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May 01, 2016 02:46am
India is progress in all aspects. It's firing all cylinders!
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May 01, 2016 05:18am
@Harmony-1© S
It is the government which would have reached out to the tent dealers.
There are already laws against child marriage and also policies that support girls continuing in school. In the end though social sanction allows marriages to happen and it has to be outreach to social organizations most likely to be in contact with those organizing such events , that the events are stopped.
Your hatred for India does not allow you to acknowledge any good initiative in India.
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May 01, 2016 07:55am
@Harmony-1© We people are the government.
Shouldn't wait for the government for everything. Good things should be done and it can be done by anyone or you could just wait for the government.
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May 01, 2016 08:21am
@Harmony-1©
Laws already exist. It is progressive when society gets involved.
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May 02, 2016 01:57am
This sort of initiatives can be replicated here in Pakistan too.
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May 02, 2016 01:57am
This sort of initiatives can be replicated here in Pakistan too.
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