Indian security forces have detained some 1.800 personas in a macro operation against child marriage in the state of Assamin the northeast of the country, according to local authorities, who have promised to continue working to combat this scourge.
The State Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has reported on Twitter about this operation, which has not yet been terminated. “I have asked the Police to act with zero tolerance against this unforgivable and heinous crime against women,” she said.
The regional government is aware of more than 4,000 cases of child marriage in about two weeksas the chief minister pointed out on Thursday, anticipating police operations in the following hours.
Since 2006, unions with minors have been prohibited by law, with particularly harsh penalties when it comes to girls under 14 years. The authorities have argued that it is not a campaign directed against a specific community and have indicated that they will also persecute not only adults who marry minors but also those who facilitate it, according to NDTV.
La ONG Plan International estimates that one in four women in India have been married before the age of 18, which puts both their physical and social development at risk and gives rise to all kinds of abuse.