Sarda Act and the Madras Press - Positive and...

Sarda Act and the Madras Press - Positive and Negative Reactions

Author Name : Dr. A. Antony Selvaraj

ABSTRACT

In Colonial India, early marriage was very common among the masses. Early marriage was the root cause for many problems such as early maternity, frequent maternity, maternal mortality, infant mortality, premature motherhood, child widowhood and virgin widowhood.The liberal thinkers initiated several attempts and the government took series of serious measures to prevent the practice of child marriage. The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 is considered as the culmination point for the previous efforts.This Act is also commonly known as the Sarda Act. During the process of enacting the Act, the press in the state of Madras actively engaged in generating public opinion for and against the Act.When the Act was passed, cheers and fierce protests erupted in the columns of the press.

Key Words: The Child Marriage Restraint Act, Sir Harbilas Sarda, Hari Singh Gour,  Muthulakshmi Reddy, The Stri-Dharma.