Teacher’s Day Brings Hope: Rescue of Underage Student from Early Marriage in Kolkata
In a heartening turn of events on Teachers’ Day, Sujaya Roychowdhury Pal, the head of a State-run girls’ school in Kolkata, witnessed one of her students return to school celebrations after nearly being forced into an underage marriage. A few months back, this Class IX student had stopped attending school, prompting Ms. Roychowdhury to investigate. She discovered the girl’s parents were planning a premature marriage to save on monthly rent expenses.
Despite initial denial from the parents, Ms. Roychowdhury enlisted the help of Sujata Bhattacharya from the NGO BITAN. While the girl’s attendance continued to avoid suspicion, the NGO executed a meticulous field inquiry. Posing as insurance agents, they gathered evidence of the impending child marriage. BITAN reported to the Child Welfare Committee, Kolkata, and the District Child Protection Officer, who intervened in time. The girl’s parents eventually signed an undertaking, pledging not to marry her off before the legal age of 18.
Ms. Roychowdhury expressed her joy, noting the student’s renewed dedication to her studies and her upcoming Class X board exams in February 2025.
BITAN, operating under the Child Marriage Free India campaign, employs awareness, counseling, and legal measures to combat child marriages, aiming for their eradication by 2030. West Bengal reports one of the highest incidences of child marriage in India, with the National Family Health Survey-5 indicating 41.6% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18, significantly higher than the national average of 23.3%.
Published – September 06, 2024 03:05 am IST
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/teacher-activists-prevent-child-marriage-in-kolkata/article68610854.ece
Category : Kolkata
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