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ShareMumbai: Tradition & customs are to be blamed
I'm not sure about the authenticity of the report. But people do get their daughters married off early in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. With more and more girls opting for career over matrimony, it might be difficult to believe the report. Nevertheless, early marriages are prevalent in India. Financial condition could be one of the important factors as a girl child is still perceived as a 'long term burden'. Hence parents want to marry her as soon as possible. The only way we can curb this is through educating parents. It is must for them to understand the ill effects of early marriage.
--Gaurav Sachdeva
Young couples do get married early
Love marriages are common in big cities these days. Young couples prefer to get married as soon as possible and sometimes they do so because of the fear of parental rejection. The main reason, I believe, people don't mind getting married early is because they want to enjoy their married life for a few years, before they plan a family. Even today women prefer to have a child before 30, therefore they want to get married early. Early matrimony helps them to get acquainted with household and other responsibilities. However if the individual has not attained legal age and gets into this even before completing studies, then it is wrong.
--Riyanka Arora
Social exclusion feared by late nuptials
In the island city then there aren't many cases of early marriages, but into the suburbs there are. Societal pressure is the main reason. Therefore, as a girl finishes her graduation, parents start looking for prospective grooms. The same could be said about boys. Some people fear humiliation and harassment, if their children get married late or outside their caste or religion. Hence, they opt for early marriages. Also women want to have children by mid-twenties. People ought to know that just because people reach a certain age doesn't mean that they are physically or mentally prepared for marriage.
--Ceceil Fernandes
Parents push children to marital ties
This report seems true since I have seen many of my friends and people residing in the neighbourhood get into early matrimony. I blame the orthodox outlook of the family. They feel if they don't find a bridegroom for a girl soon, then it will affect their reputation. They also feel others will make insinuations about their girl. Another cause for early marriages is parents' opposition to their children's preferred choice of a partner. There is lot of awareness about pre-marital sex but there is hardly anyone campaigning against early marriages. So there is need to create awareness among youngsters and orthodox families.
--Pooja Maheshwary
Urbanisation has lead to late marriages
I believe the report could be based on the small slum pockets around the city. In fact we see a growing number of urban dwellers opting for live-in relationships as opposed to early marriages. This phenomenon is here to stay due to the growing incomes and advances in medical science with regard to child fertility. Early marriages could be seen among the uneducated poor inhabitants of slums.Education and better living conditions may perhaps prevent early marriages.
--Harshal Shah
Expert view
Girls still regarded as liability, burden
Early marriages are usually known to be confined to rural areas only. It's shocking that the practice persists in Mumbai also. Though the literacy level of Mumbai is better than rural areas. This phenomenon has nothing to do with literacy. The main reason is our social perception about girls. Most families consider girls as a big liability. If the girls get married early, the family feels it has completed its responsibilities. There is insecurity in every family which compels them to get married as soon as they find a suitable boy, who is settled and earns good money. The other reason is that there is a lot more personal freedom, very few intrude into an individual's personal life. Moreover, youngsters are not so mature and act on impulse. There is need to create awareness among the families, young girls and boys about the ill-effects of early marriages.
--Nandini Sardesai, sociologist
High risk of women getting cancer
Going by the patients who come to me, I see a different trend emerge. Most women who come to me are in the age group between 28 - 29. While pregnancy at later stage can be harmful, early motherhood has its own set of risks as well. All women should know the ill-effects of having an early marriage. For girls below the age of 19, the child bearing capacity is less and it can be called adolescence pregnancy. So adolescence is not right age to start married life, if children are born they will be malnourished. Secondly women also run the risk of contracting cervical cancer due to early marriage. Moreover, women are not mentally fit to handle early pregnancy.
--Kiran Coel
