Assam joins forces to eradicate child marriage with 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' campaign
Guwahati, Nov 28: Thousands of people across Assam have joined the Government of India's Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage Free India) campaign, aimed at eradicating child marriage. The state-wide programmes, organised by the Just Rights for Children (JRC) alliance, saw participation from 3,900 villages across 28 districts, with events such as awareness drives, candlelight marches, and road shows mobilizing support.
The campaign brought together an unprecedented coalition of police officers, teachers, village heads, faith leaders, parents, and child marriage survivors, all united in their resolve to combat child marriage. Pledges were taken in schools, marketplaces, police stations, courtrooms, and panchayat offices, echoing commitments.
The JRC alliance, a national network of over 250 NGOS operating in 400 districts, has been at the forefront of the fight against child marriage. Working closely with the Assam government and local administrations, JRC has prevented over 2.5 lakh child marriages across India through awareness campaigns, persuasion, and legal interventions.
JRC founder Bhuwan Ribhu highlighted the emotional and societal cost of child marriage, stating: "The pain and resilience of millions of girls and mothers, along with the tireless efforts of my colleagues across more than 250 NGOs in the Just Rights for Children alliance, have brought us this historic moment. As we move forward, we look to the government's leadership to cultivate a culture where prevention, protection, and prosecution work in harmony, leveraging partnerships to drive lasting behavioural change."
According to the National Family Health Survey-V (NFHS 2019-21), Assam has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the country, with 31.8% of women aged 20-24 reporting they were married before the legal age of 18, compared to the national average of 23.3 per cent. Campaigners stressed that child marriage often results in lifelong challenges for its victims, including loss of agency and opportunities, and contributes to low participation of women in the workforce.
The 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' campaign was officially launched by Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi, on November 27 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The launch included a national pledge against child marriage administered to all gram panchayats and schools, alongside the unveiling of a dedicated national portal for reporting child marriages. The campaign aims to reach 25 crore people across the country.
In Assam, JRC partners are optimistic that the momentum generated by this initiative will drive lasting change. The alliance plans to intensify its collaboration with village authorities and faith leaders, spreading awareness and strengthening grassroots efforts to eliminate the practice of child marriage.
In the coming months, the campaign will expand to every district, block, and village in the state, working towards a future free from this deeply entrenched social evil.
As the initiative received a strong push in Assam, with the Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), an NGO dedicated to child rights, spearheading awareness programmes across the state along with others.
In collaboration with the Just Rights for Children (JRC) Alliance, a global initiative against crimes targeting children, ACRD organised a series of impactful events on November 27 across five districts - Kamrup Metro, Kamrup, Baksa, Lakhimpur, and Dibrugarh. These events were conducted in partnership with the district administrations and included rallies, candlelight marches, pledge-taking ceremonies, and street plays.
The programmes saw the active participation of 7,159 individuals, including women survivors of child marriage, children, village leaders, and officials from law enforcement, social welfare, child protection units, and legal services authorities.
"In coordination with local authorities and the state government, we have been working to rescue our daughters from child marriage. But the nationwide campaign under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives a new burst of energy to all of us. It is a matter of immense pride that what we had started in these districts is now a nationwide campaign," said Nawajyoti Sharma, president of ACRD.
- By Staff Reporter
