NAMAKKAL: Six girls aged below 13 years were married off in a remote hamlet in Namakkal district, even as revenue department officials reportedly tried to stop the ceremony. The incident has sent shock waves among the child rights and human rights activists in the district.According to informed sources in the revenue department, child marriages took place at Jumbumadai hamlet in Vadavathur revenue village in Erumaipatty. Reliable sources added that daughters of Muthal Naidu, Pattal Raj, Balusamy, Bairu Naidu, Saamiyadi, Samy Naidu were the ones who were married off. The first two marriages were reportedly held on Tuesday. The villagers allegedly went to the extent of attacking a Block Development Officer (BDO), who went to enquire about the incident based on some specific information. He managed to escape, but his jeep was damaged in stone-pelting. However, the BDO later refused to lodge a complaint with the police fearing further trouble from villagers, the sources said.On Sunday, two more marriages were held. Another two were scheduled for June 19. But with official action looming large, village elders advanced the function and held it on Sunday itself. An official said Jambumadai had a population of just about 1,500. People here belong to Kavara Naidu community, whose mother tongue is Telugu. Most of the residents do not have any contact with the outside world. Some have not even boarded a bus in their life so far, the official added.
Comments
0 comment