Women Should Embrace Motherhood At Appropriate Age Of 22-30 Years, Says Assam CM Himanta Sarma

Speaking at a government event, CM Himanta Sarma reiterated his government's commitment to stop underage marriages and motherhood.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

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New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said women should embrace motherhood at the "appropriate age" or else it might lead to medical complications, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking at a government event, Chief Minister Sarma reiterated his government's commitment to stop underage marriages and motherhood.

“Women shouldn't wait too long to become mothers as it leads to complications. Appropriate age for motherhood is 22 to 30 years. We've been speaking against early motherhood. Also, women shouldn't wait too long either,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

It is to be noted that his comments come in the light of the Assam government deciding to bring stringent laws and evoking the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to check child marriages and underage motherhood.

“Thousands of husbands will be arrested in the next five-six months as it is a crime to have sexual relations with a girl below 14 years of age, even if he is her legally wed husband,” Sarma said, adding, “Many (men who marry girls) could face life imprisonment."

Speaking about motherhood, Sarma said women should not wait too long to become mothers. “God has created our bodies in a manner that there is an appropriate age for everything,” he added.

Notably, the Assam cabinet on Monday decided to book men who marry girls below 14 years of age under the POCSO Act. Those who marry girls in the age group of 14-18 years will be tried under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the cabinet said.

The decision was taken to check the high rate of maternal and infant mortality in the state, whose primary cause is child marriage, CM Sarma had said after the cabinet meeting.

An average of 31 per cent of the marriages in the state are in the prohibited age group, he added.