SHILLONG, Nov 11: Adviser to the Social Welfare Department, Paul Lyngdoh, has said the Meghalaya Government is working on finding a practical balance between the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the widespread practice of early marriages in the state.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a consultative meeting with stakeholders on Tuesday, Lyngdoh said the government has already submitted its proposed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to the Advocate General for final vetting.
“As far as the plan of action is concerned, we have submitted our SOPs, which examine the implications of POCSO and the rampant premature marriages involving adolescents and minors. The challenge is how to strike a balance between long-standing practices and the law of the land,” he said.
Lyngdoh added that once the Advocate General gives his opinion, the SOPs will be published and submitted to the courts, including the Meghalaya High Court, where several cases related to early marriages are pending.
He acknowledged the complexities of implementing POCSO in rural Meghalaya, where awareness about child protection laws remains very low.
“Many villages are unaware of an Act like POCSO. We do not have institutionalized child marriage in Meghalaya, yet early marriages are practiced across the state. We have multiple cases of girls conceiving at the age of 13 or 14. When enforcement begins, villages often plead ignorance, saying it has been their tradition. This is why awareness is crucial,” he said.
According to Lyngdoh, counsellors, experts, and Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) will be deployed to far-flung areas to spread awareness about child protection laws and the legal implications of early marriages.
The adviser also underscored the need to strengthen community policing mechanisms, especially Village Defence Parties (VDPs), to support law enforcement agencies.
“This is one aspect I have always advocated. Many villages are far from the nearest police outpost, sometimes requiring three to four hours of travel. Encouraging community policing through VDPs, which are empowered by law, will go a long way. They act as foot soldiers for the police,” he said.
Lyngdoh emphasized that creating an informed and cooperative ecosystem at the village level is essential to reducing cases of child abuse, crimes against women, and other forms of violence.
