Assam: ACRD, faith leaders join hands to eradicate child marriage in state

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD) has partnered with faith leaders from multiple religions to launch a mass awareness campaign aimed at eradicating child marriage in several districts of Assam. The initiative, undertaken under the banner of Child Marriage Free India (CMFI), seeks to ensure that no child marriages take place in the coming days across Kamrup Metro, Kamrup, Baksa, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur districts. As part of the campaign, faith leaders have openly declared that child marriage is a serious crime, emphasising that anyone involved, including those officiating or facilitating such marriages, can be held legally accountable and face imprisonment. Posters and banners have been prominently displayed at the temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, and other religious sites, clearly stating that marriage will not be allowed on their premises. ACRD, a key grassroots partner of CMFI, has worked extensively with district administrations, faith leaders and communities to stop child marriages through legal intervention, family counselling and mass awareness programmes. The campaign aligns with the strategic framework proposed in JRC Founder Bhuwan Ribhu’s book, “When Children Have Children: Tipping Point to End Child Marriage”, and the 2024 Supreme Court guidelines focused on the elimination of child marriage. The director of ACRD, Prerna Changkakati, highlighted the significance of this partnership, stating that the public commitment of faith leaders will play a vital role in solemnising marriages, and upcoming days are marked with zero incidences of child marriage in their working districts.

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