GURUGRAM: The first Lado Panchayat in the city was held at Abhaypur village, Sohna block, on Thursday, and most girls who attended it demanded that the legal age for marriage for them be raised from 18 to 21 years. The girls also demanded that a government college be set up for them in Sohna.
On Thursday, an 11-member committee of the panchayat passed a resolution seeking a provision of three years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh for parents and other relatives of girls who are married off early.
At the panchayat, which was the first in Gurgaon and the second in the state, it was observed that about 80% of girls from Sohna got married due to lack of college education.
The session was organised by Sunil Jaglan, the founder of ‘Selfie with Daughter’ Foundation. “We have been demanding that a girls’ college be set up here. In Sohna, 80% of girls are married off as soon as they finish Class 12 because there are no colleges for them,” Jaglan said.
On Thursday, several girls and women from across the state and from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar attended the session.
“Our rights should not be any less than that of boys,” said Rishida (16), from Himachal Pradesh.
Another girl, a student of South Asian University, New Delhi, said the government should immediately raise the current marriageable age for girls from 18 to 21 years. “It can be easily done. Why are they taking time?” Monika asked.
During the discussions, the issue of domestic abuse was also raised. “A woman, who is barely 18, often gets physically and mentally abused after getting married and at such a tender age, most women are not prepared to cope with that,” said Arushi from Punjab
According to Jaglan, they have written to the central government seeking the establishment of a girls’ college in the area.
Earlier, a similar session was held in Hisar.
