I have listened to the leader of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) Brother Harrypersad Maharaj's defence of the Marriage Act of T&T which allows a child as young as 12 years old to marry.Bro Maharaj's arguments were that age was not a determinant of maturity.
But I must ask how is the maturity of the child bride determined by these groups to establish whether the child is ready for marriage?Bro Maharaj also stated that child marriages last and many later marriages end in divorce.
Do these early marriages last because the young child is unlikely to rebel against oppression and maltreatment?But Bro Maharaj's most fascinating argument was that an early marriage can rescue a young female who became pregnant from child rape from having to endure an abortion, suicide or a life of shame.
I must question this reasoning because such marriages will be aiding and abetting, even encouraging the crime of child rape.
Bro Maharaj also mentioned the local Hindu and Muslim Marriage Acts which permit marriage of females as young as 12 years. I should point out that India itself has enacted the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 which prohibits solemnisation of marriages below age 18, and regards child marriages as a violation of human rights.
At the same time, we should commend the stance of the local Hindu Women's Organisation who wants an end to child marriages in T&T.This can suggest that the males who are behind the defence of child marriages have their own depraved agendas.
We should note that we have a secular constitution, and no religious practice should be allowed to contravene the laws of the land.Quite often in the past, religions have employed oppressive tactics to deny the human rights of the weak.
In our past history, the first peoples have been brought to servitude in the name of religion.Because of this IRO position we need to urgently re-examine the Concordat to bring about its removal because the Concordat gives denominational schools the right to teach their doctrines exclusively.
I call on government to amend the marriage act to prohibit child marriages.
David Subran PhD
Montrose, Chaguanas