Patna: Around 3.7 crore people took part in the human chain against dowry and child marriage on Sunday, said Chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh. He was present at Gandhi Maidan, the main venue of the programme.

Anjani said this chain was much bigger compared to the one formed to support prohibition last year. He, however, admitted that the crowd "looked" less compared to last year but said that was because the chain was not made compulsory on state highways and national highways.

"People had demanded against being forced to form human chain on state highways and national highways but at the panchayat and block level. Last year, it was mandatory to form the chain on highways," Anjani said.

"The new strategy has worked successfully," he added.

The chief secretary said the administration was worried about the cold weather but the sun was bright on Sunday during the entire programme.

"Across the state, the weather was normal and the sun shone except in a few districts. Reports from the districts say people were really enthusiastic about the human chain and actively took part in it. At first, they were anxious about the cold weather but everything fell in place," he said.

The chief secretary said that such an initiative helps usher change in society and appealed to people to boycott marriages where dowry is exchanged to send a clear message that Bihar would not tolerate such evils anymore.

He admitted that laws exist against dowry and child marriages, but pointed out that very few cases came to light.

"It will have a big impact on society. Just think that a girl studying in school and college will come to know that her parents do not need to sell anything for her marriage. How peaceful her life would be to know that she is no burden on her parents," Anjani stressed.

The chief secretary said that Bihar could only develop if the social evil ends. He said early marriage had very bad impact on the health of boy and girls and that social change cannot be brought through laws but with people's awareness and firm belief.

Singh took a jibe at Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav - who had claimed that the government campaign was not feasible in cold weather - without naming him. "There are people who go to court and some raise issue that human chain should not be formed in cold weather. They should understand that it is a big thing happening in Bihar and a big social opportunity. No education can be bigger than this social cause."