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You are hailing from a remote village. You are the only person who is pursuing a degree in your community. You have had access to education and modern values. You want every child in your village to have a good education. During holidays you visit your village and teach the children. In one such instance, you have come to know that one of the girls whom you used to teach is getting married. She is 17 and is about to complete her 12th standard. Child marriages like these were common within your

CASE STUDY

 Q7. You are hailing from a remote village. You are the only person who is pursuing a degree in your community. You have had access to education and modern values. You want every child in your village to have a good education. During holidays you visit your village and teach the children. In one such instance, you have come to know that one of the girls whom you used to teach is getting married. She is 17 and is about to complete her 12th standard. Child marriages like these were common within your community in the past but these have largely reduced now. You want to eliminate such practices. You have come to know that the person she is getting married to is your cousin. You talk to him about the importance of her education and the ills of child marriage. He seems to ignore your advice but promises that she will be allowed to continue her education and he is even ready to fund it. The girl’s parents have convinced her to accept the marriage as they can’t afford to educate her any further. You speak to both parties again but they are not ready to call off the marriage or wait for another year until she turns 18. Your mother scolds you for interfering in their family matters and says that nothing much is going to happen in a year. She warns that any further attempts would lead to fights within the family and even within the community. If that happens you will not be allowed to interact within the community and teach them further.

      1. What are the options available to you in this scenario? Discuss their merits and demerits. Would you consider contacting the police despite such a warning from your mother?
      2. Why do you think people still practice child marriage? Highlight the ethical issues associated with it.
      3. Discuss the steps required to strengthen the community values in such scenarios.