Nitish launches campaign against child marriage and dowry

Speed Post News Network

Patna : Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who had enforced complete prohibition on April 5, 2016,  on October 2, 2017, launched a campaign to stop child marriage and pracice of dowry in the state. Nitish said that a human chain will be formed in the state on January 21, 2018, to create awareness about the campaign. The CM was addressing a function organised by the Social Welfare Department at the Ashok Convention Centre’s Bapu Sabhaghar here, which was inaugurated on the day.

Nitish said, ” Bihar government had enforced prohibition in the state in 2016 and launched a massive campaign in its support by forming a human chain on January 21, 2017. Similarly, I would appeal the people to form a human chain on January 21, 2018, to end the practices of child marriage and dowry.” Nitish administered an oath to the people not to promote or support such social evils in any manner besides urging them to shun child marriage functions or marriages where dowry had been taken. He expressed hope that the campaign would result in decline in the number of child marriages and dowry cases.

Nitish said as per the Government of India’s crime data, Bihar ranks 26th in terms of crimes against women in the country but added that the situation was alarming when it comes to dowry-related cases as the state ranks second in the country after UP when it comes to dowry cases. In 2016, 987 cases of dowry deaths were registered in Bihar while the number of cases of dowry-related atrocities was 4,852, he said. The percentage of child marriage cases in the state stands at 39, the CM said.