GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday, stated that his government will launch a crackdown on the practice of child marriage prevalent in the state.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made this statement while delivering his Republic Day speech in Guwahati on Thursday.
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Touching upon the subjects of maternal and child mortality, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma blamed the practice of child-marriage as one of the prime reasons behind such cases.
The Assam chief minister added that the state government was duty-bound to crackdown on practices such as child marriages.
Recently, the Assam government directed the state’s police to launch a crackdown against those marrying underage girls as part of its efforts to end child marriage within five years.
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Sarma said the survey, conducted between 2019 and 2020 by the Centre, revealed the percentage of underage mothers or pregnant girls in the state at an “alarming” 11.7 per cent, much higher than the national average of 6.8 per cent, reflecting “rampant” child marriage, a root cause of high maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate in Assam.
Assam CM Himanta biswa Sarma appealed to the residents of the state to become stakeholders in the forward march of the state towards progress and growth.
He exuded confidence that Assam would be able to make commendable contributions towards the process of nation-building in days to come.
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The Assam chief minister in his speech paid rich tributes to the freedom fighters who had made incomparable contributions towards the nation’s freedom struggle through their sacrifices.
He also remembered “Father of the Nation” Mahatma Gandhi for his role in India’s struggle for Independence.
He also paid his tributes to the fallen heroes of the military, paramilitary and the state police forces who had made the supreme sacrifices securing the unity and integrity of the nation.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the provisions of the Constitution of India reflect the hopes and aspirations of the citizens of India, while at the same time ensuring the nation is run and administered according to law laid down for the purpose.
The Constitution clearly outlines the responsibilities and duties on the part of the citizenry as well as the government, the Assam chief minister said.
The fundamental rights and fundamental duties remind us of our obligations towards obeying the law of the land, he added.
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The directive principles of state policies lends the character of a “welfare state” to the administrative set-up, the Assam CM said.
Empowerment of the scheduled communities along with protection of their cultural, political rights has been taken care of by the Constitution, he added.
The Assam CM further added that the Indian Constitution, unlike its counterparts in other parts of the world, isn’t merely a book containing details about legislations but a document for political and social justice.
The ‘welfare’ component of the Constitution is well-reflected in all its provisions, he remarked.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also said the Constitution of India emphasises on friendly relations between nations and opposes colonialism and subjugation of one nation by another in all its forms.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma further remarked that India isn’t a nation-state but a civilization and that the framers of the Constitution were very much mindful of this fact.
He said this civilizational trait makes the concept of secularism and socialism in India very different from those in practice in other nations.