Marriage in lieu of repayment of a loan.
By Sreekanth A. nair
Some Social Welfare Department officials’ timely intervention stopped the wedding of a minor girl in Coimbatore in the state of Tamil Nadu, reported The News Minute.
Sarjina Banu, 15, from Chettipalayam was about to get married to 21-year-old A Riyasudeen from Karamakadai on Sunday at a private marriage hall in Kottaimedu near Ukkadam, Coimbatore, when social welfare department officials along with police and child line workers intervened and stopped the marriage.
Some family members of Sarjina Banu were against the marriage and they informed the officials on Sunday.
“We were informed that only the engagement was taking place on Sunday but, on Saturday, we came to know that the girl’s marriage will be conducted on Sunday. We immediately informed the social welfare department and stopped the wedding,” Sarjina’s uncle Nizamuddin told The News Minute.
According to media reports, the marriage was planned to waive off a loan brought by Banu’s father from Riyasudeen’s father.
Sarjina’s father, Abdul Abbas, bought a loan of $294 from the boy’s father, Anwar months ago. Due to the high rate of interest, the loan amount increased to $2940. When Anwar realized that Abbas may not be able to repay the money, he approached the girl’s family and proposed Riyasudeen’s marriage with Sarjina Banu to waive off the loan.
“Riyaz was not getting a girl and Sarjina’s family was not in a financial condition to repay the loan. So Riyaz’s father asked Abdul Abbas to marry his daughter to Riyaz instead of (repaying) the loan,” Nizamuddin added.
Sarjina told Child Line coordinator S Umadevi that she had been in love with Riyasudeen for the past 18 months. The parents of both bride and groom give a written statement to the officials assuring that they wouldn’t conduct the girl’s marriage before she turns 18.
They are also asked to produce the girl before the officials once in every three months.
“The social welfare department has also promised that they will keep coming and checking for the next three months that she has not been married off,” said Nizamuddin.