ArchiveAboutContact
News in English

Assam: Indian women protest against child marriage mass arrests

gyalchi · 2 min read

BBC News:

Hundreds of women are protesting in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam after their male relatives were arrested as part of a crackdown on child marriage.

State police have arrested more than 2,400 people since Friday.

This includes husbands and relatives of alleged child brides, as well as priests who officiated the marriages.

Opposition leaders have called the drive a “farce”, alleging it disproportionately targets Muslims.

But Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says that his government’s “war” is against child marriage and doesn’t target one community.

It is illegal for girls under the age of 18 to marry in India, but the practice still continues in many parts, mainly due to patriarchal traditions and poverty.

According to government data, more than two out of 10 girls are married before the age of 18.

India’s parliament is considering a bill that could increase the minimum age of marriage for women to 21 years.

But among Muslims – who mostly get married under the Muslim personal law – girls can get married once they attain puberty. The National Commission for Women has also approached the Supreme Court, asking for the marriage age for Muslim women to be made on par with that of other religions.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, to which Mr Sarma belongs, has been pushing for a uniform civil code, which will apply to all citizens.

Comments are closed.

Related

News in English

Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen graced the closing of the Fourth PEMA Symposium.

10 October 2026: The three-day symposium, held at PEMA Rehab under the theme “Inclusive Mental Wellbeing: Transforming Vulnerabilities to Hope, Healing and Human Connection,” brought together international and local experts and stakeholders to discuss how to make mental health care in Bhutan more proactive, inclusive and compassionate. Addressing the gathering, Her Majesty’s granted a powerful […]

gyalchi
News in English

Russia kills eight people in Ukraine, attacks two vessels in Black Sea

Al Jazeera: Russian forces have launched widespread missile, drone, and artillery attacks across Ukraine, causing civilian casualties while hitting regional infrastructure and commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Ukraine’s Air Force on Saturday reported facing a huge overnight barrage involving 174 drones from across Russia and Ukraine’s annexed Crimean Peninsula, alongside two Zircon antiship missiles […]

Online now: 12 Today: 4219 Total visitors: 6896