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AGARTALA, JULY 18: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday said the state government was contemplating the introduction of a new policy, which will require couples to register their marriages prior to conducting any religious or social rituals. The move, which is proposed, is to stop child marriages through the stricter verification of age and proper documentation.
Addressing an awareness programme organised under the Drug-Free India Campaign at Gandhigram Higher Secondary School located in the Bamutia block, Saha stated that birth certificates would become compulsory while registering. This would ensure that people are checked to see whether they have attained legal age for marriage before any informal or formal wedding is conducted. They would be 18 years old for women and 21 years old for men. He reiterated that this would serve as a legal safety measure and would preclude underage weddings.
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Saha also emphasized the importance of heightened public awareness and collective action in addressing child marriage. He cited the example of a minority community girl who was awarded by the President of India for having stood up to her own child marriage. The Chief Minister encouraged more young people to take the cue and do the same, advocating the need for a larger cultural change through education and awareness.
Saha also highlighted the rising issue of drug addiction in Tripura during his speech. He pointed out that the state never had significant addiction problems in the past, but the situation deteriorated over the last forty years. He stated that the state government, in conjunction with the Centre, is making sincere efforts to curb the menace through increased monitoring and enforcement of the law.
Reiterating his government’s zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking, Saha warned of severe action against people engaged in the illicit trade. Saha concluded his address by underlining the pivotal contribution of awareness campaigns in combating both child marriage and narcotics abuse throughout Tripura.
