Supreme Court’s decision declaring sex with underage wife as rape is laudable but what prevents the highest court of our land to nullify such a marriage with a minor is amusing. Laws and punishments should be made stringent and parents should be booked for severe offence if they force or even with consent of their minor children conduct wedding of their wards, who are aged below 18 years. Sex no doubt should be mutual but it affects the health of girls below a certain age and this has been medically proven.
Supreme Court’s decision is great but not sure how it can be implemented. Only a handful of cases where there is sexual violence would be reported. Education is the need of the hour and government should educate the masses on the right age for marrying their children. Punishable laws if implemented stringently too would dissuade elders from marrying their children at an young age!
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
