Tamil Nadu: Amid Covid-19 lockdown, Nilgiris witnessing rise in circumstances of kid marriages, sexual abuse

During the Covid-19 lockdown, there was an increase within the variety of circumstances of sexual abuse of youngsters in addition to little one marriages in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district.
According to the information from the district administration, the variety of circumstances underneath The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) has registered an increase of 52 per cent from April 2020 to March 2021 as in comparison with the interval between March 2019 and March 2020.
While final 12 months six circumstances of kid marriages had been reported within the district, there have been 13 circumstances, greater than 100 per cent improve — this 12 months up to now.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, district collector J Innocent Divya stated they’ve prevented seven little one marriages within the district in current occasions.
One of the explanations for the rise in little one marriages and sexual abuse of youngsters, she stated, was lack of entry to on-line courses when colleges remained closed within the lockdown.
Police together with district officers run ‘Operation Smile’ to rescue lacking youngsters.
“We have been tackling the dropout issue as the schools were closed. A section of children who do not have means to access online education had been idle for almost a year. Parents of girl children find it difficult to keep them home for a longer period owing to concerns of their safety. The women say their husbands are alcoholics and they fear their daughters could be abused when they are not around, so they think it is better to marry them off,” she stated.
Another factor that we observed that led to the rise in little one marriage, Divya stated, can also be the rise within the variety of case of elopement.

The district little one safety unit has reported cases of youngsters aged 15-17 eloping with boys of their age or older boys.  Due to the social stigma and disgrace, dad and mom consider it’s higher to marry off the women than holding them dwelling.
The administration, after receiving the details about such incidents, has taken motion underneath the POSCO Act towards these trying to marry off underage women.
The official stated they’ve tried to review the sample of such cases whether it is extra prevalent in tribal areas, whether it is taking place in any specific neighborhood or whether it is owing to the financial state of affairs, and so forth. however have been unable to achieve any conclusion.
The collector believes lockdown is without doubt one of the major causes behind such acts.
She stated the youngsters are present process a lot stress on this pandemic interval and society hardly offers significance to that. “They don’t know whether they are going to be back in school or going to meet their friends, etc. Children, especially adolescents, have more physical and mental energy and if parents fail to channelize them on a right track then it will lead to many issues.”
District officers work together with native residents to unfold consciousness.

Volunteers organising CSR initiatives have been requested by the administration to conduct extra consciousness programmes about little one marriages and attempt to carry youngsters collectively at a typical place the place they will work together with one another.
In the preliminary part, the programme is being carried out in 5 hamlets in Coonoor taluk following Covid-19 security precautions, like sporting masks, sustaining social distancing, and so forth.
As a part of the programme, youngsters are delivered to a typical open house from 4 pm to six pm. With the assistance of a projector, the volunteers are instructing them fundamental math and language abilities. The officers stated the module differs for every age group. Similarly, consciousness classes on menstrual hygiene, bodily and psychological well being are additionally being carried out.

“We are trying our best to engage these children in some activity to avoid any distraction, we are also educating the parents that don’t need to fear about their children staying home. We have created a separate community mechanism for it. We convince them that their children will join school soon and will eventually complete their education and find a good job. Child welfare volunteers have also been informed to constantly monitor the areas where there are reports about child marriages. We hope our efforts will work,” Divya added.