In a strong display of interfaith unity, religious leaders across the region have joined hands with the Kosi Lok Manch, a national-level voluntary organisation to curb child marriages during the ongoing wedding season.
The initiative is part of the Child Marriage-Free India (CMFI) movement, which aims to eliminate child marriage across the country. Over 250 NGOs are working in this movement in 416 districts.
The Kosi Lok Manch, a grassroots organisation affiliated with the CMFI, has launched an extensive awareness campaign, particularly in north Bengal, covering Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar.
The campaign is receiving support from faith leaders in temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras who have publicly pledged not to support or solemnise underage marriages, CMFI sources said.
“Priests guide people on what is right and wrong. I believe that if all priests educate people about the harm of child marriage and consistently oppose it, this social problem can be eradicated,” said Bijit Sankar Bhattacharjee, a priest from the Shiv Jagga Mandir in Cooch Behar.
Posters and banners with bold messages denouncing child marriage have been installed at religious institutions to reinforce the message that such a practice is not only harmful but also a criminal offence under the law.
Kosi Lok Manch executive director Rishi Kant said while the law prohibited child marriage, awareness at the grassroots level was often lacking. "Many people don’t know that attending, conducting, or facilitating such marriages can lead to imprisonment," he said.
Engaging priests and faith leaders in the drive against child marriage is essential as marriages can't take place without them, he said.
“We have engaged with priests and faith leaders to explain that child marriage is a form of institutionalised sexual violence and no religion supports it. Their cooperation is essential. Without them, child marriages cannot take place,” said Kant.