The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices on Thursday to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and the States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat over a practice known as ‘Nata Pratha’.
This involves selling _ “on a stamp paper” _ or marrying off underage girls from some communities. These “sales and marriages” are usually conducted by their own families.
Given the immoral consequences of ‘Nata Pratha’ on women and minor girls, the Commission has called for its eradication and abolition, says a message issued by the NHRC.
Sold by father
The States have been directed to submit a report on measures taken or proposed to be taken in this regard within eight weeks.
The Commission’s directions come following its intervention in a complaint dated July 15, 2020, by the father of a minor girl who claimed that the child was allegedly kidnapped from Rajasthan’s Salamgarh area, in district Pratapgrah. Her body was found in Danpur, in the district of Banswada. “The Commission through its Investigation Division conducted a spot inquiry. It was found that the father himself sold her as part of a marriage deal to a man for ₹2.5 lakh. As part of the ‘Nata Pratha’ deal signed by their families and witnessed by villagers on July 11, 2019, the groom paid ₹60,000 and the remaining amount was to be paid by January 10, 2020,” the NHRC stated.
The commission further noted that when the groom failed to pay the remaining amount within the stipulated time, the father brought his daughter back and fixed her ‘Nata’ with another man for ₹32,000. The girl objected to this and went to live with her earlier husband at Gagarwa. She also complained to the Banswada SP, alleging that her father was an alcoholic and had made several attempts to fix her ‘Nata’ against her will with many boys to earn money and that he had also threatened to kill her. The police failed to take any action on her complaint, and she poisoned herself on June 16, 2020.
Police inaction
The NHRC inquiry revealed that the father filed the complaint with the Commission alleging the kidnapping and murder of his daughter to save himself from any action resulting from the police complaint filed by her. The Investigation Division recommended legal action against the father for selling his minor daughter and action against the police personnel of Danpur for their inaction. The NHRC spot inquiry team also suggested that the State Government should enact a law to stop the social evil of ‘Nata Pratha’.
On January 23, 2020, the Commission deputed its Special Rapporteur to inquire into the sale of girls in Rajasthan. He also suggested the urgent need to address this social evil through a multifaceted strategy as it violated basic human rights. The Commission referred the matter to the Research Division to suggest measures.
The commission’s research wing observed that the ‘Nata Pratha’ is comparable to modern forms of prostitution. Among various measures, it suggested that. besides enacting a law, individuals involved in forcing women into ‘Nata Pratha’ must be prosecuted under laws relating to human trafficking. The sale of minor girls should be prosecuted under the POCSO Act. It also suggested setting up a group at the village level to register cases of ‘Nata Pratha’ in addition to building awareness and providing education and employment to improve the economic and social status of girls and women.
