In a move to discourage child marriages, tent dealers in the Indian State of Rajasthan have decided not provide wedding tents for the practice, reports Times of India.
Rajasthan Tent Dealers under the banner of Kiraya Vyavsai Samiti, decided to stand up against this practice in the state.
Furthermore, they will now ask the parents of the bride and groom to provide the tent dealers with birth certificates to ensure that they are not assisting in the practice of child marriages. If the birth certificates prove that minors are being wed, the tent dealers will immediately inform the police.
The practice of child marriage is rampant in the districts of Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu. The period of April to May is also regarded as auspicious to solemnise such weddings.
The decision by the tent dealers association was taken in a meeting held on Friday, where they urged their 47,000 fellows across the state not to supply marriage tents and other things in the marriages if it is a child marriage.
Ravi Jindal, President of the Rajasthan Tent Dealers Kiraaya Vyavsai Samiti said, When anyone will come to book us to supply the tent and do other decorations, we will ask for the birth certificate of the boy and girl to ensure it is not child marriage. In case a person or group of persons gives us wrong information, we will immediately inform the nearby police and other government officials for the required intervention.”
Furthermore, The United Nations in 2014 adopted the first-ever resolution calling on governments to stop child marriages, despite misgivings from countries who had hoped to include sex education as key to preventing the practice. Jindal further added that their team will work and support the state government’s initiative to end the social evil.
About 15 million girls worldwide become child brides each year and globally, more than 700 million women were married before the age of 18.
Niger, Bangladesh and India have high rates of child marriages, but are also prevalent in immigrant communities in developed countries.