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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that even the UN now agrees that child or forced marriage has no place in society and called for stringent action against the practice.
Reacting to the United Nations declaration of November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, Sarma said the move reinforces Assams position that child and forced marriage must be firmly dealt with. Even the UN now agrees to what we in Assam have been saying and professing since our last term child or forced marriage has no place in our society and needs to be cracked down upon, Sarma said in a post on X. https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/2096151894569918510 Highlighting the state governments efforts, the Assam Chief Minister said more than 12,000 cases have been registered and over 11,000 arrests made in connection with child marriage cases. He further claimed that child marriages have declined by 81 per cent across 20 districts, accompanied by a significant reduction in teenage pregnancies and an increase in female enrolment in higher education. Sarma said Assam had already announced plans for an unapologetic campaign against child and forced marriage in November, with the government determined to bring perpetrators to justice. He said the states experience demonstrates that the fight against child marriage is not merely a regional issue but part of a wider global challenge. Assams fight against child marriage ignited a national narrative, and now carries the weight of global recognition. Our commitment remains unchanged a society free of child marriage, Sarma said. The Chief Minister maintained that Assams campaign, undertaken in a state with a population of around 3.5 crore, was aimed at securing the future of girls and eliminating child marriage as a social and criminal practice. Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika today said the state's campaign against child marriage was never intended to remain confined to its borders, asserting that the issue is part of a broader global challenge. Reacting to the United Nations' declaration of November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, Hazarika said the move provides a global platform for the fight against the practice. Assams fight against child marriage was never meant to stop at our borders. What we confronted across our villages and districts is part of a global challenge, Hazarika said in a post on X. https://x.com/Pijush_hazarika He said the UN declaration reinforces the need for collective efforts to ensure that children are not forced into marriage before they are ready to make decisions about their own future. Together, we can move closer to a world where no child is pushed into marriage before they are ready to choose their own future, the Assam Minister said. (ANI)
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