Two Karbi bodies laud police action against child marriage

Rehab for wives, children sought

HT Bureau

DIPHU, Feb 13: Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA), a leading Karbi women’s organisation and Karbi Students Association (KSA Jemson Timung) have urged the state government to immediately rehabilitate the wives of those people who have been arrested by police on charges of allegedly marrying underage girls in Karbi Anglong.

The KNCA and KSA in a memorandum addressed to Governor of Assam, Gulap Chand Kataria and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, submitted through DC, Karbi Anglong, Madhumita Bhagawati, here said that it was a commendable job by the state government in attempting to take action to eradicate child marriage from the society.

However, without giving prior information and arresting the husbands have severely affected their wives and children as the bread earner of the family has been taken away by the police.

The organisations have demanded the government to stop midnight arrests of the accused and arbitrary arrest without apprising or informing the village headman.

They have also urged the government to conduct an awareness programme on the ill effects of early marriage, to provide rehabilitation to the wives and children whose husbands were being arrested, to immediately establish customary court under the jurisdiction of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and to strengthen the authority of village headmen and other traditional heads like Habe, Pinpos and Lindokpos to administer justice as per customary law and customary practices of the community under the jurisdiction of KAAC.