New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) ‘Nata Pratha’, a custom in which girls are “sold” on stamp paper or through informal agreements in the name of marriage, has come under renewed scrutiny, with the Central Information Commission directing the disclosure of an action taken report submitted by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to the National Human Rights Commission.
In a recent order, Information Commissioner P R Ramesh said the ministry must revisit an RTI request and provide the action taken report it shared with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), after redacting the exempted portions.
The Central Information Commission (CIC), however, upheld the denial of other information sought by the appellant, noting that it involved personal details of complainants and their families, which are exempt under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
The RTI application had sought copies of correspondence between the ministry, the NHRC, and the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, along with the action taken report on the issue.
The CIC observed that while personal information cannot be disclosed, the action taken report submitted to the NHRC is a matter of public interest and should be shared in a revised form.
The NHRC, in a statement dated June 6, 2024, had taken a serious view of the practice, calling it a “social evil”.
“The NHRC takes a serious view of ‘Nata Pratha’ under which girls in some communities are sold either on a stamp paper or otherwise in the name of marriage, having no legal sanctity in parts of Rajasthan and the adjoining areas in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat,” it had said.
Terming the practice “unethical” and “immoral” with severe consequences for women and minor girls, the NHRC had called for the eradication of the custom.
It had issued notices to the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the states concerned, directing them to submit action taken reports within eight weeks.
The ministry had informed the NHRC that the practice appeared “derogatory” to women and needed to be abolished.
The NHRC also cited a case where the father of a minor girl in Rajasthan sold her for marriage under the ‘Nata Pratha’ for Rs 2.5 lakh through a deal signed between the families in the presence of villagers.
While an initial payment of Rs 60,000 was made, the remaining amount was not paid in time, following which the father brought the girl back and fixed her ‘Nata’ again with another man for Rs 32,000.
The girl opposed the arrangement and returned to live with the first man. She later alleged harassment and threats by her father before committing suicide in June 2020.
Citing inputs from its research division, the NHRC underscored the need for a legal framework to curb the practice, recommending enactment of a specific law to eradicate ‘Nata Pratha’.
It said those forcing women into such arrangements should be prosecuted under laws related to human trafficking, and in cases involving minors, under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, to effectively check the “menace”. PTI MHS ARI
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