“21 ka bind, 18 ki bindni, phir karo mangni” is a message you can’t ignore. Every bus in Rajasthan, private and state-owned, bears this message and spreads it from one end of the state to the other. As Akha Teej draws near (Thursday and Friday), the Rajasthan government is looking for new ways of spreading awareness about the ills of child marriage.

As in the last two years, this year too, the Vasundhara Raje government has claimed that it will take steps to prevent child marriages, most of which take place during Akha Teej. From issuing letters to district heads and sarpanchs, telling them about the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the government has also asked district authorities to be alert and prevent child marriages from taking place in their respective areas.

Despite government efforts to prevent child marriages in the state, tribals were spotted shopping for brides and grooms in Udaipur on Wednesday morning.

The father of a 17-year-old groom-to-be from a nearby village, Udeshwar Mahadev said, “He is not young. He took his class XII examination this year. He has also started working, then how can he be called a child?”

Another family from Kundanpura, a small village near Jaipur, is busy in last-minute preparations for their 15-year-old daughter’s wedding. Her mehendi ceremony was held on Monday. The pheras will be held on Thursday evening. About 50-odd people had gathered for puja at Kundanpura on Tuesday, and all of them were aware that the bride is a minor. “Look at her. She can easily pass off as an 18-year-old. And that’s what we have told the pujari,” said her maternal grandmother.

... contd.