'Arya Samaj' and Abolition of Child
Marriage
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Child marriage was very much common in 19th-century India. By
this, young girls went through painful weddings at a young age. It was one of
the major changes that 'Arya Samaj' fought for.
Leaders of the 'Arya Samaj' worked hard to have this practice
outlawed. It was incompatible with respect for human dignity and the teachings
of the Vedas. They stressed the significance of education and physical
development before to marriage and pushed for an earlier marriage age.
The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 was one of several laws
enacted as a result of this movement, which struck a chord with liberal
intellectuals. The sin of underage marriage contributed more to the decline in
society's standards.
Since infant marriage was the root of so many problems, Swami
Dayanand waged a protracted fight to end the practice. Swami Dayananda declared
in his ‘Satyarth Prakash’, “That nation descends into the depths of despair
wherein the people do neither practice ‘brahmacharya’ nor acquire wisdom, where
early marriage and marriage between the inappropriate and prevalent females
should marry between the ages of 16 and 25.
Child marriage was also denounced by Swami Dayananda Saraswati
as anti-Vedic, in addition to the physical grounds. He said that child marriage
should be outlawed and that ‘Brahcharya’ should be codified into law. In
addition to advising that both partners reach an appropriate level of physical
and mental maturity before getting married, Swami Dayanand said that the
wedding should only take place with their permission.
The 'Arya Samaj' deserves praise for its successful campaign to
change public opinion in opposition to this unnatural practice.
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