CHILD MARRIAGE LAWS. (Hansard, 28 November 1927)

§ 2. Colonel WEDGWOOD
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India 3 whether the Government of India is doing all in its power to hasten a reform of the child marriage laws; and why reference to a Committee was held to be necessary?

§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Earl Winterton)
I am not sure what legislative proposal the right hon. Gentleman has in mind. If it be the Bill introduced by a private Member to fix a minimum age for the parties to a valid Hindu marriage, that Bill stands referred by the Assembly to a Select Committee, which is the normal course of action on all Bills. If he is referring to the proposal to raise still further the age at which a marriage may be consummated without involving the offence of rape, that Bill is still pending in the Assembly. It is probable that the Government of India may find it necessary to propose examination by a Committee of the effects of the recent raising of the age from 12 to 13 for this purpose before legislation to raise it still further, is proceeded with. They have, I need hardly say, every desire to further social reform.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
Would it not be possible, in view of this private legislation now before the Assembly at Delhi, for the Government themselves to introduce a Bill on this question without further leaving it to a private Member?

§ Earl WINTERTON
No, certainly not. If a private Member's Bill on the subject is before the Assembly, the normal and reasonable course would be to consider that Bill.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
But will the Government give opportunities for that Bill to reach the Statute Book?

§ Earl WINTERTON
I have already said that the Bill is being referred to a Select Committee, and until that Committee reports obviously it would be most improper for me to give any indication of the Government's action.

§ Colonel WEDGWOOD
Is the Noble Lord aware that the Bill was referred to a Select Committee contrary to the wishes of its promoters, and that referment to a Committee was regarded as a postponement of the Measure?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
The right hon. and gallant Gentleman is not justified in making a speech.

§ Mr. SAKLATVALA
Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that the real root of all these social evils is illiteracy and the absence of female education in the country for the last 150 years?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
That is argument.