The number of complaints received pertaining to child marriages during the pandemic in Karnataka was the highest in May this year, reveals data from ChildLine 1098.
Of the 579 complaints it got in May, it was able to intervene and stop 542 children from being forced into marriage. As many as 107 complaints were from Ballari alone.
Barring complaints made in June, data from April to September was made available (see table). Activists and counsellors attribute the surge in calls in May to the lockdown. The numbers started falling in the subsequent months as restrictions eased.
While it received 214 complaints in August, the number dropped to 111 in September. The highest number of complaints in September came from Bengaluru Rural.
Fr. Antony Sebastian, chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), said the number of complaints pertaining to child marriages were on the rise as the monitoring mechanism was not effective, with most officials being involved in COVID-19 duties. “People were also under the impression that this can be kept as a secret during the pandemic and they will not be held accountable,” he said. He added that people were facing several financial hardships during the pandemic and many particularly in rural areas felt that the marriage can be conducted with a minimum cost.
However, Vasudev Sharma, executive director, Child Rights Trust, said that increase in the number of complaints was a result of a surge in reporting. “The general awareness is more and people are coming forward to complain. It does not mean that the numbers of child marriages are on the rise,” he said.