Child Marriage Bill Introduced in LS, Sent to Parliamentary Panel for Scrutiny

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday, 21 December, sent the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, introduced in Lok Sabha by Union Minister Smriti Irani, to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for detailed scrutiny.

The government’s intention to send the Bill to the panel was announced by Irani, who had introduced the Bill amid protests by Opposition members.

The Bill will increase the age of marriage for women from 18 years to 21 years.

As she introduced the amendment Bill, Irani said, “I would like to present that women equality in our country needs to be seen in (terms of) age of marriage. Invoking different marriage laws of different faiths, I rise to introduce the amendment bill.”

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Opposition Against Bill

Several MPs in the Lower House of Parliament opposed the introduction of the Bill, asking for more scrutiny and demanding that it be sent to the Standing Committee.

After the Bill was introduced, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury commented on Bills being passed in haste in the house, saying, "We'd like to advise the government that mistakes happen when work is done in haste. A lot of discussions is being done in India over this matter."

He further said that the government has neither spoken to any stakeholder nor consulted any state and demanded that the Bill be referred to a Standing Committee.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy also raised his voice against the Bill, saying, "I oppose the way in which the government has brought the Bill in a hurry. This Bill needs total discussion among all stakeholders. The minority people are totally opposed to this Bill."

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi meanwhile called it a retrogressive amendment, saying it is against the right to freedom under Article 19.

"An 18-year-old can choose a prime minister, can have a live-in relationship but you are denying right to marriage. What have you done for an 18-year-old?" he questioned.

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Commenting on the way Bills were being passed in the Parliament, NCP MP Supriya Sule said, "It's the 2nd or 3rd time consecutively, they're aggressively bringing Bills and nobody from Opposition is consulted. Whatever is discussed in Business Advisory Committee is never implemented on floor of House. I want to condemn this new practice which this government is doing."

Meanwhile, DMK MP Kanimozhi said that "except for Women's Reservation Bill, Government doesn't believe in consulting anybody. It's very important that such an important Bill has to be sent to Standing Committee or Select Committee and they have to review it and ask for opinions in civil society and then bring the Bill."

What Did Smriti Irani Say?

Countering the opposition raised over the bill, Irani said:

"We are, in a democracy, 75 years late in providing equal rights to men and women to enter into matrimony. Through this amendment, for the first time men and women will be able to make a decision on marriage at the age of 21, keeping in mind the right to equality."

Union Minister Smriti Irani.