Officials failed to act, say rights activists

NAMAKKAL: Following the child marriages, social activists have sought tough action against those who were conducted the ceremony at Jambumadai.K S Senthilkumar, District Organiser of Citizen’s Forum for Human Rights Movement, alleged that the revenue officials and police failed to take any action to stop the marriages.He alleged that the officials feigned innocence and maintained that they could not gather sufficient evidence to initiate action. “Why can’t they go to the spot with adequate police personnel and stop the marriages?” he asked.CPM leader in Namakkal C Rangasamy also backed him. “It is the district administration’s duty to take stringent action in such matters. They are bound to act when there is a child marriage,” the CPM leader said.He added that they were trying to shirk responsibility by saying that the villagers did not allow them to take any action.However, Revenue Development Officer in Namakkal Ramasamy told Express that the officials could not act due to lack of evidence. “If we go to the village, people will remove the thaali and parade the girls before us. In such a situation, we cannot do much,” Ramasamy added.