Call to raise marriage age of girls

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Coimbatore: At a time when the state is witnessing yet another love story gone wrong with film director Cheran and his daughter and her lover trading charges, Kongu­nadu Munnetra Kazhagam (KMK), the party with strong patronage from the Gou­nder community here in western Ta­­mil Nadu, has now  dema­nded that the ma­rr­iage laws be am­­­e­­nded with immediate effect so as to incre­ase the  wo­m­en’s marriage age to 21 inst­ead of 18.
Speaking to this newspaper, general secretary of the party G.K. Nagaraj said by increasing the age for marriage to 21 for women, the government could better the lives of hundreds of women who get married at an young age only to be separated a few years later.
“After the girl attains a certain maturity and gets quality education, let her choose her groom,” he said.
Pointing out the recent fallout of Illavarasan–Divya marriage, Nagaraj said if the minimum age for marriage was raised to 21, the couple would never have married leading to severa deaths.
“It is very common in rural areas of Coimbatore and western Tamil Nadu for young women to elope with lovers only to land up with the police. We have dealt with at least six cases during the last month alone at Thondamuthur and surrounding areas in which five people have been arrested,” he said. “Due to a cautious approach taken by the police, communal tension was averted,” Nagaraj added.
According to statistics gathered by KMK members, at least 936 marriages involving girls under the age of 21 have taken place out of which 721 marriages have ended in divorce. “Besides, a total 30 parents and 12 young women have committed suicide due to these failed marriages in the Kongu region comprising of 10 districts from Dindigul to Coimbatore and Nilgiris,” G. K. Nagaraj said.
Party leaders have also urged to make the Hindu marriage laws similar to Christian and Muslim marriages where the union is not solemnized unless it receives acceptance from the community leaders and parents of the couple.