Assam’s latest drive against child marriage has surpassed last year’s numbers, with authorities registering 476 cases and arresting 557 people so far as part of the ongoing crackdown.
“The crackdown on child marriage is carried out every year, and this year too, we have continued the drive. The government has also pointed to a decline in child marriage in areas covered by its assessments. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared the latest figures, which show 113 more cases and 125 more arrests compared with the 2024 drive, when 363 cases were registered and 432 people were arrested. The state intensified its campaign against child marriage in 2023, launching a large-scale crackdown that saw police register cases and make arrests across Assam. Government figures released earlier had cited more than 12,000 cases and over 11,000 arrests as part of the wider drive. More than 500 people have been arrested so far, and some more arrests are still pending. Cases fell by 81 per cent across 1,132 villages in 20 districts between 2021-22 and 2023-24, according to one assessment.
Speaking to the media, Sarma said the annual crackdown was continuing this year as part of the government’s efforts to eliminate child marriage from the state. Our efforts will continue until child marriage is completely eradicated from Assam,” he said. Sarma said the police drive would continue, reiterating the government’s stated goal of completely eradicating child marriage from Assam.
