Jharkhand records country's highest percentage of child marriage among girls
Ranchi (PTI): Infamous for witchcraft killings, Jharkhand has earned the disrepute of having the highest percentage of underage girls getting married, according to the latest demographic sample survey by the union home ministry.
The percentage of girls getting married before attaining majority is as high as 5.8 in Jharkhand, according to the survey brought out by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs.
"The percentage of females who got effectively married before reaching 18 years of age is 1.9 at the national level and varies from 0.0 in Kerala to 5.8 in Jharkhand," the survey said.
In Jharkhand, child marriages accounted for 7.3 percent of marriages in rural areas and three percent in urban areas, it said.
The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report contains estimates of various demographic, fertility, and mortality indicators based on the data collected through one of the largest demographic surveys in the world covering about 8.4 million sample population.
The survey was conducted in 2020 and the report was published late last month.
Jharkhand and West Bengal are the only two states in the country where more than half of the women are married before attaining the age of 21 years.
The survey said that while 54.9 percent of girls are married in West Bengal before attaining the age of 21 years, the figure for Jharkhand is 54.6 percent as against the national average of 29.5 percent.
Meanwhile, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 32 people were killed on allegations of practicing witchcraft in Jharkhand in 2015, 27 in 2016, 19 in 2017, 18 in 2018, and 15 each in 2019 and 2020.
Jharkhand was in the limelight recently after a minor girl was set ablaze for spurning the advances of a man. The main accused had allegedly poured petrol on the girl from outside the window of her room when she was sleeping and set her on fire on August 23. The teenager succumbed to her injuries four days later and the accused and the man who had supplied petrol to him were arrested.
Another 14-year-old tribal girl, allegedly sexually exploited by a man on the pretext of marriage, was found hanging from a tree in Dumka on September 2. Her mother had claimed that she was raped and killed and the accused has been arrested.
The two incidents are being probed by the National Commission for Women and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
A teenage girl fell victim to an acid attack and was sent to AIIMS in New Delhi by the state government for better treatment.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
