BALURGHAT, Nov. 12 -- A case of child marriage involving a 15-year-old girl from Balurghat block in South Dinajpur district was successfully thwarted following a call made to the district administration's control room, where minor girls can seek immediate assistance against such practices.
According to sources, the administration received a call on Tuesday alerting them about marriage involving a minor being arranged in a village under Balurghat block. Acting swiftly, officials from the district administration, accompanied by police personnel from Balurghat Police Station, rushed to the spot and stopped the illegal marriage. The girl's guardians were made to sign a written declaration pledging that no such attempt would be made again until the girl attains adulthood.
Police sources informed that the girl, a meritorious student of Class IX at a local girls' school in Balurghat, had learned about the helpline number through a recent awareness campaign organised at her school.
The campaign discussed in detail the harmful consequences of child marriage and encouraged students to report any such attempts. The girl had lost her father at a young age and her mother remarried, leaving her in the care of her grandparents. When she was promoted to Class IX, her grandparents began searching for a groom for her. Despite her clear wish to continue her studies, her objections were ignored and her marriage was fixed to a youth from a nearby village. The girl was reportedly subjected to both mental and physical abuse and was confined at home to prevent her from contacting anyone.
However, showing remarkable courage, she managed to reach out to one of her close friends, who allowed her to use her mobile phone to contact the district helpline. Based on her complaint, the authorities immediately intervened, saving her from early marriage.Expressing relief, the minor girl said: "I want to study and make a career for myself. I was afraid but I remembered what our teachers told us about the helpline. I am happy that I made the call. Now I want to go back to school."
Inspector in-charge of Balurghat Police Station, Sumanta Biswas, said: "The girl's courage is commendable. Her quick thinking helped us stop a serious crime. The police and administration are always alert to protect minors from such social evils. We urge everyone to report similar incidents immediately."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.