Mariam's case does not stand alone. The state witnesses many instances of child marriages.

A recent survey conducted by a city-based NGO, Sanglap, under the aegis of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, of 737 households in four districts of West Bengal, Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, revealed that 72.9 per cent of girls are married before they attain the age of18 years. Interestingly, 87 per cent of the respondents said they were aware of the legal age of marriage.

"The survey shows child marriage is related to income strata, dowry system and low literacy. Though there are fewer child marriages in Bengal when compared to places like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, it is still behind the North Eastern states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala," said Anindit Roy Chowdhury, manager, Sanglap.

In four villages, incidence of child marriage before 14 years is over 25 per cent, while in eight villages over 75 per cent women are married before they attain 18 years.

Of the 229 women who had married before attaining 14 years of age, 114 belong to families with income less than Rs 25,000 per annum and 206 belonged to the next income bracket of Rs 25,000 to 50,000.

According to state social welfare department officials, lack of education is the biggest cause of child marriage. The survey shows that of the 229 cases of child marriage (less than 14 years of age), only 15 (6.55 per cent) had secondary and above level of education.

The study also hints a relation between dowry and child marriage. To avoid paying dowry, parents marry their daughters at an early age. 68.39 per cent of girls married below 14 years and 64.45 per cent married between 14 to 18 years paid less than Rs 5,000 as dowry. The dowry increases if a girl is married after 18 years, as 48.43 per cent girls of that income group pay between Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 at marriage.