Marry Girls Early So They Don't Get 'Wayward', Says UP Cleric: Stop This Policing

The Union Cabinet passed a proposal this week to raise the marriageable age of women from 18 to 21. The move has been receiving mixed reactions from all quarters. Many rejoiced and thought it to be an effective step to end the early marriages, that are still commonplace in India. Many also felt that the new law would barely bring any shift. The one's who get their daughter married in childhood would not care if the government has added three more years to the legal marriage age.

In India Marriageable Age Of Women Need Not Be Raised, Says A Cleric:

Then there are people who are not really happy with the new law proposal. In a report by Times Now, Maulana Jawad of All India Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said that the board is going to take the up issue. He expressed disagreement with the bill and said that parents will now be more 'tensed' about their daughters as they will have to "keep an eye on them and protect them for three more years."

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To prove his point that early marriage is not such a bad thing, Jawad gave an example of his aunt who was married off at 14 and had 14 kids by the time she turned 45. He stressed how in early marriages there is no hindrance in terms of health and child bearing capacity of younger girls. In fact, he said he believed that there should be no compulsion on the marriageable age of girls as "parents know better than the government". Jawad was basically speaking for the big section of Indian society who support early marriages. A total of 785 cases were registered in India under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in 2020. The said year saw a 50 percent jump in cases of child marriage.

It should agitate us that 785 children were at the risk of marriage at an age where they do not even understand it. At an age where they should be educated and be given values to have normal adulthood. What is really scary to think about is that the 785 cases were the reported ones. It is only practical to assume that many got away by getting their kids married and ruining their lives.

Is It Really About Protection?

Maulana Jawad said, "If marriageable age gets increased to 21 years, it'll increase the tension of parents since they'll have to keep an eye on them and protect them for three more years." What happens to the women after they get married and who protects them? If the husbands are handed over that "tension", how do parents ensure that he will protect their daughter?

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The cleric seems confused about the words protection and restriction. If women are not leaving the patriarch to live under the shadow of another patriarch, they are somehow going 'wayward'. What the cleric really meant was if the marriageable age is increased, it will be three more years that the parents will have to control their daughters so that they don't for a moment feel that they are free to make their own choices. Yes, most parents think well for their children. At least the intentions are mostly good but tying young women to the marriage hook as early as possible to somehow "protect" is simply an infringement of their rights. Daughters need education, financial stability, a safe environment to express their views and more to feel protected. Marriage is a milestone in a person's life, we need to stop making it the ultimate goal and reason of existence for our girls.