Eleven-yearsold Priya (Changed name) was absent from her school in South Tripura district for weeks. Enquiring by the school revealed that family was planning to marry her off at such tender age. ‘Balika Manch’ however prevented it by swinging into action.After proponents counseling of the child and her parents, the girl rejoined her classes.

In another case, 13-years old Mala (changed name) was absent after eloping with a friend. ‘Balika Manch’ passed on the information to the district administration which rescued the girl and she resumed her classes. In yet another bizarre case, class 10th girl, aged 17, studying in government Higher Secondary School got pregnant after being married. When she has been absent for months, ‘Balika Manch’ found out the truth. The SDM city with his team intervened the matter and counseled the couple and their family. The girl was again admitted to the school and family is also taking care of her. There have been more than hundreds such cases in South Tripua district Belonia in last one year.

But all these case of child marriages were handled carefully and counseled by ‘Balika Manch’ of different High and Higher Secondary School. Later, all these girls again admitted to the school and completing their basic educations. ‘Balika Manch’ is a platform or a girl’s club formed at school level, consist have of teachers and girls. Now, it has become biggest tool of preventing child marriages in the district. In the last one year, this model stopped more than 150 child marriages, and got them admitted in school again. This Manch not only counseled the girls, but also provide all assistance, including financial.

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Indian Masterminds interacted with 2015-batch IAS officer Saju Vaheed A, District Magistrate and Collector South Tripura District, to know more about the initiative.

BALIKA MANCH

This initiative was taken under ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ and started in 2020 by IAS officer Debapriya Bardhan, an IAS officer of 2012-batch. Under this scheme, clubs called ‘Balika Manch’ have been formed at the school level. But the initiative went in dormant during the pandemic. Mr Vaheed rejuvenated it last year.

The club makes efforts to stop child marriages and promote girl’s education. Now, this is serving as a model for proactive and community-driven efforts to address a very sensitive issue.

There are almost 150 Government’s Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools in the district. ‘Balika Manch’ has been constituted in all of them with a lady teacher appointed chairperson and a girl student from class 9^th or 10^th as Convenor. A woman and a girl students each from class 7^th to 12^th are appointed member. They all convene a meeting every month and discuss reason for students not attending classes before submitting the report to the administration.

Mr Vaheed said, “The most challenging task is to get information about child marriages. Therefore, we took the initiative about the children with long absenteeism in High and Higher Secondary School i.e. from 6th standard to 12th standard. These children are reported to ‘Balika Manch’. After that Manch investigates reason for the child’s abstention. They go to the child’s home and get complete information.”

HOW IT WORKS

This model works on investigations and counseling. After inquiring at school level, if anything is known about the child’s marriage or marriage planning, then, initially the teachers and other members of Balika Manch go and try to stop the family members of girl child. If they don’t get success in it, they escalate the matter to the District Task Force.

If task force also failed, then, there is a ‘Whatsapp group’ of the District Administration, in which all the senior officers including DM and a nodal officer related to such cases are connected. The people of Balika Manch give complete information there that they tried, but did not succeed.

After this ‘One Stop Center’ intervenes and counsels the child and her family. One Stop Center was started in under the Sakhi initiative. In this, all the issues of girls from domestic violence to depression are handled by specialists.

“And, if even the One Stop Center is not able to counsel, then child line team goes and tries to counsel, if they also do not succeed, then the team under the SDM goes and prevent it,” Mr Vaheed added.

HOW TO CONVINCE

If the family fails to listen to the administration then a case is registered with the police as child marriage is illegal. The ‘Balika Manch’ Committee visits the girl student’s house, try to do persuasive dialogue. They tell about the ill-effects of child marriage and why their education is utmost necessary.

Later, team consisting of police, civil administration and Child-helpline representative rushes to the spot and cancel the marriage. Officials also take an affidavit signed from the parents for not getting the child married till she turns 18.

CASES

In last one year, there were 46 such cases in which the children got married, but administration canceled their marriage and brought the children back.Many of these cases are of elopement of children in the age group of 14 to 17 years.

Mr Vaheed said, “But we brought those children back, counseled them and now those children study. In some cases the girl child was also pregnant and her children were born. But we brought them back too.” At the same time, criminal offense has also been made in many cases, FIR has also been filed. But in majority of cases FIR is not filed, only counseling is done.

This initiative has raised the awareness level of people. No child marriage is taking plebeian now. Only elopement cases are being reported.

“We are tackling them and focusing more on this initiative for the next one year. Earlier there used to be more than 350 drop out cases of girl child in a year. In which more than 225 cases were related to child marriages, but now they are Zero,” Mr Vaheed added.

Under this initiative, workshops were conducted with all Panchayat Pradhans, Panchayat Secretaries and Members of SHGs, to sensitize the issue. These clubs are really empowering girl students by instilling confidence among them to tackle the challenge.