From Our Correspondent
KHLIEHRIAT, Feb 17: The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), East Jaintia Hills, organised a Legal Literacy Programme and street plays at Lumshnong and Wahiajer villages on Tuesday as part of a national campaign for a child-marriage-free India.
The initiative, held under the aegis of the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), is part of the 100-day intensive awareness drive under NALSA’s ASHA SOP and the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign. The programme used street plays (Nukkad Nataks) to illustrate the legal, social, and health consequences of child marriage.
Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel, R Manar, detailed the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the POCSO Act, 2012. She cautioned that individuals involved in solemnizing or promoting child marriage face up to two years’ imprisonment, while offenses under the POCSO Act carry stricter penalties of 20 years or more.
The street plays demonstrated how ignorance of the law leads to arrest and legal action. Speakers urged residents to report child marriage cases through the Child Helpline (1098) or the toll-free number (15100), noting that the DLSA provides free legal aid and counseling to those in need.
The programme concluded with a call for community vigilance to eliminate child marriage and protect the rights of young girls.
