To maintain secrecy, most child marriages are organised in small, nondescript shrines in remote villages as early as between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.
According to Mysuru District Child Protection Officer S. Diwakar, child marriages in many parts of South Karnataka are being held in the dead of the night or the early hours of the day.
“We had heard about ceremonies being held at midnight or early in the day in Raichur, Kalaburagi, and other parts of North Karnataka. In the southern regions, most of the child marriages used to be held only after 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. But, we are now seeing a new trend of them being held early in the morning even here,” he said.
As authorities had warned the management of marriage choultries and major temples against allowing child marriages on their premises, the venue had shifted to small temples in remote villages, where the events are completed with fewer rituals. “In most cases, they just tie the knot and leave the place. We find it difficult to arrange the required personnel and transport to the venues when we learn about such marriages in the night,” he said.
The authorities have identified social insecurities among people in rural areas as the leading cause for child marriage. Parents fear that girls, between 14 and 17 years, may elope with boys and spoil their social standing and reputation in the village. To prevent such a situation, the parents choose to marry girls before they attain the legal age of 18 years.
According to Mr. Diwakar, girls who had discontinued their studies for a variety of reasons, are considered by parents to be the most vulnerable to eloping. This insecurity is most pronounced when girl children, who are out of school, are left alone at home while the parents work in the fields, he said.
“In some cases, child marriages are also held so that elderly persons in the family can see their young ones married ‘in front of their eyes’,” Mr. Diwakar said.