Rohtak (Haryana): The Khap Panchayats of Haryana have strongly opposed the bill to increase the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 years to 21 years. The chief of Rohtak Khap-84, Hardeep Ahlawat registered a strong opposition against the Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Bill, 2021.
The bill, proposing to increase the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 years to 21 years, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. It was further sent to the parliamentary panel amid heavy opposition from the opposition party members.
On the same day, the Panchayats expressed their discomfort with it too during a felicitation event for the chief of the Deshwal Khap, Shivdhan Deshwal for his social work in the Ladhaut village in Rohtak.
During the event, Khap chief Hardeep Ahlawat said that the government has no reason to reduce the legal age of marriage for girls from 18 to 21 years.
He added that there is a difference in the physical appearance and development of men and women, and that's the reason that the legal age of marriage for girls is less than that prescribed for boys.
"This law will be opposed at every level. We will raise a strong protest against this bill in the meeting of Sarv Khap Panchayat to be held in Jind (Haryana) on December 22. And if necessary, the Khap and the society will come out on the road to oppose it," he said.
Earlier, Hooda Khap chief Omprakash Hooda had also opposed the bill. He had said that the decision to increase the age of marriage of girls will have a 'bad effect' in the rural areas as poor families "prefer to get their daughters married early since they cannot pay for their education or livelihood".
"In such a situation, should they focus on protecting their daughters or earn a livelihood?" he asked and said that the government needed to pay attention to it.
Also read: Bill on increasing legal marriage age of women from 18 to 21 yrs, say sources; experts flag concern
