Mysore/Mysuru: The deadly COVID -19 pandemic has taken the playful and joyous moments of children,as the State reportedly witnessed a rise in under-age marriages amidst the COVID crisis, with parents eager to marrying off their girl children even before they attain the legal age for marriage.

In Mysuru District, the District Child Protection Unit received 272 complaints on child marriage last year, following the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020. However, the authorities succeeded in stopping 242 child marriages from taking place, while 30 had already taken place.

The authorities have booked cases against all those concerned in respect of  the 30 child  marriages that had happened. The authorities said that 27 out of the 272 cases were reported in Mysuru city alone in 2020, out of which 21 child marriages have been stopped, while 6 had taken place before any action could be taken. In 2021, the Child Protection Unit  has so far received 24 complaints in the district and 23 child marriages have been stopped. Mysuru City alone accounted for 12 complaints, out of which 8 were stopped and 4 had taken place.

District Child Protection officer S. Diwakar told Star of Mysore that most child marriages are taking place due to lack of communication and also because the Police are busy in COVID duties. 

Asserting that the authorities will not allow  any  child marriages to happen if they get a clue or a tip-off even at the last minute, he said that public co-operation was vital for putting an end child marriages.

Pointing out that fellow girl students would have provided information on child marriages if schools functioned, he said that widespread campaigns have been conducted on the dangers of child marriage. 

Attributing the rise in child marriages to COVID pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, during which parents are trying to shrug off their responsibility by marrying off their minor daughters with little expenses, Diwakar said that it is alarming to note that several  poverty stricken parents are marrying off their under aged daughters secretly in their homes.