SALEM: Pre-marriage rituals and other celebrations came to an abrupt end in three places at Salem on Saturday as officials stopped three child marriages that were scheduled to be solemnised on Sunday. “Sunday being an auspicious marriage day our Integrated Girl Child Project (IGCP) team grew nosy and smelt for offences of child marriages about to happen, said P V Viswanthan, Project Officer of the IGCP.In Saturday’s cases, for the first time a marriage between minors was stopped. The marriage was firmed between M Mahenderan, 19, son of Murugan of Sukhampatti near Achangukuttapatti in Ayothipattinam block and Anbu Selvi, 16, a tenth standard dropout and daughter of Velu, a farmer in Thukampalayam in Valapadi Block. Two teams comprising the block coordinators P S Ravikumar and R Sundara Pandian respectively along with VAOs and civic chiefs, went to the houses of the boy and the girl and initiated the move to stop the marriage.According to Ravikumar, the boy’s father strongly objected to the idea of stopping the marriage and decided to go ahead. However when police action was sought, he relented.At Anbu Selvi’s house, they responded to the counselling and did admit that they went against the norm although they were aware of child marriage. In both the cases the team got a written statement from parents that they would not go ahead with the marriage proposal until their wards turned major. At the same village, Thukiyampalayam Sucila, 16, daughter of Arunachalam, a flower decorator and a farmer was about to be married off on Sunday with Chinnadurai, 25, of Kakapalayam a loom worker.A team, led by R Sundrajan and Nehru, Veerapandi Block Coordinators, spoke to the parents separately. They convinced to call off the marriage and were made to sign an assurance to this effect.At Pedanickenpalayam block, a team led by block coordinator S Aranganayagam stopped the marriage to be solemnized between Sathya 16, daughter of a widow Dhanalakshmi, who makes a living on daily wage. The team intervened but they could not find any celebrations because the marriage was to be held secretly. However she was won over through counselling, the officials said.
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