The Social Welfare Department and Childline, with the help of police and revenue officials, have stopped six child marriages, five in Sivaganga district and one in Ramanathapuram district.
Acting on a tip-off through Childline ‘1098’, the officials rushed to the villages and rescued the prospective brides aged 14-17, who were to be married off to their maternal uncles or relatives, who were 25-30 years old.
The officials also obtained written undertakings from their parents.
In most of the cases, the parents of the girls refused to stop the marriages arguing that they had made all arrangements, but relented when the officials and the police warned them of action under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
“It was the teachers who, after noticing that the girls had suddenly stopped coming to schools, made enquiries and alerted the officials of the Social Welfare Department,” said Sundar, District Child Probation Officer, Sivaganga. In some cases, the villagers or the relatives of the girls tipped the officials off through the child helpline, he said.
A team of government officials visited the villages in the Singampunari, Manamadurai and Tirupattur blocks to thwart the marriages.
At Sirumaruthur village in Singampunari, the marriage of a 17-year-old girl was scheduled for Wednesday with Dharmaraj, 30, when the officials intervened.
At Thendral Nagar in Manamadurai, a 14-year-old girl was to be married later this month, when the officials rescued the girl, Child Protection Officer Muthu said.
At Moongil Oorani in Manamadurai, a 17-year-old girl was to be married to Azgumalai, 30, on Sunday when the officials intervened and stopped the marriage a day before, he said.
At Aavarankadu in Manamadurai block, a 16-year-old girl studying Plus-One was to have married Mayasamy, 25, of the same village on Sunday.
At Melapidavoor in Tirupattur, a 15-year-old girl was to marry her maternal uncle Senthil, 30, on Wednesday, when the officials stopped the marriage.
Father threatens suicide
At Therku Karaiyur in Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district, Childline coordinator P. Chockalingam stopped the marriage scheduled on Sunday of a 16-year-old girl with her maternal uncle Senthil, 29, after a high drama on Saturday.
The girl’s father threatened to commit suicide along with the prospective bride and two other daughters by pouring kerosene on them, but the officials with the help of Inspector of Police Meenambal talked them out of it.
