STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Government of India’s Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage-Free India) initiative has received significant support from various organizations, including the Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), an NGO advocating child rights in Assam. In collaboration with the Just Rights for Children (JRC) Alliance, a global initiative against crimes targeting children, ACRD organized impactful awareness programmes on November 27, 2024, across five districts in Assam—Kamrup Metro, Kamrup Rural, Baksa, Lakhimpur, and Dibrugarh—in partnership with the district administration.
These programmes featured rallies, candlelight marches, pledge-taking ceremonies, and street plays, all aimed at addressing the deeply rooted social issue of child marriage. The events witnessed a significant turnout of 7,159 villagers, including women survivors of child marriage, children, village leaders, and officials from sectors such as law enforcement, social welfare, child protection units, and legal services authorities.
The initiative was instrumental in raising awareness and encouraging local communities to take a firm stand against child marriage, a persistent concern in Assam. ACRD’s collaborative efforts with local authorities resulted in the prevention of 771 child marriages across the five targeted districts through legal interventions and counselling programmes. As part of the campaign, Union Minister Annapurna Devi launched a national portal on November 27 to facilitate the reporting of child marriages, further strengthening the nationwide effort.
“In coordination with local authorities and the state government, we have been working to rescue our daughters from child marriage. However, the nationwide campaign under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings renewed energy to our mission. It is a matter of immense pride that what we initiated in these districts has now become a national movement,” said Nawajyoti Sharma, president of ACRD.
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