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UP teen girl takes charge, stops her own child marriage
UP teen girl takes charge, stops her own child marriage
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Ballia , A 16-year-old girl from eastern Uttar Pradesh picked up the phone and made the most important call of her life, defying her parents who had decided for her a life far away in Saudi Arabia with a 25-year-old man.
Instead of checking her bridal wear for her marriage scheduled for Wednesday, she dialled 1098 the child helpline to set in motion a process that eventually stopped her child marriage.
The teenager, Gudiya , took the step last week after learning that her family had arranged her marriage in a village in Bairia area of Ballia district in UP.
Gudiya has completed her high school education and wishes to study further.
"This girl was remarkably aware that she was below the legal age for marriage, which is 18 years, and thus contacted the helpline before the scheduled wedding," District Probation Officer Amarendra Kumar Potsayan told PTI on the phone.
Potsayan who promptly set up a committee after Gudiya's call admitted that her call spurred the authorities to action, bringing together the district Department of Women and Child Development, the police and a local child-protection organisation.
With support from the Suremanpur police, the team reached the village, verified the complaint and intervened.
"Eventually both families were persuaded to call off the ceremony," Potsayan said.
During the intervention, officials spoke to her father, who cited the family's difficult financial circumstances and his disability in a feeble bid to justify the illegal move to marry off his underage daughter.
Gudiya's mother works as a labourer at a nearby factory.
While her parents agreed to cancel the wedding after being informed that child marriage was a punishable offence, the groom's family was initially reluctant.
They argued that wedding invitations had already been distributed and cancelling the ceremony would cause social embarrassment, eyewitnesses recalled.
The intervention team explained the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the legal consequences of proceeding with the marriage.
The groom's family subsequently agreed to call off the wedding.
Both families were asked to sign affidavits undertaking that Gudiya would not be married before attaining the legally prescribed age, according to officials.
For Azhar Ali, director of Navbharti Nari Vikas Samiti, the incident underlined the importance of making children aware of their rights and the avenues available to seek help. The organisation is an NGO partner of Just Rights for Children , a civil society network of more than 300 NGOs working on child protection.
"We are conducting awareness campaigns in villages, particularly in schools, to help eradicate child marriage. These efforts have played an important role in preventing such marriages," Ali said.
"With the support and prompt action of the police and local administration, we were able to reach the families of both the girl and the boy in time. Had Gudiya not called us when she did, it would have been difficult to intervene," he said.
"This case shows how making children aware of their rights and informing them about where they can seek help can make a real difference in preventing child marriage," Ali added.
With the wedding called off, Gudiya now has the opportunity to pursue higher education and decide the course of her own future.
Potsayan said Gudiya's remarkable decision would have a ripple effect in inspiring others who might be facing a similar situation to take the bold call.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
