BERHAMPUR/PHULBANI : Displaying remarkable courage, a 17-year-old college girl from Kandhamal district prevented her own marriage by seeking assistance from the Child Helpline authorities on Sunday.
Failing to convince her parents to abandon the marriage, the teenager from a village under Phiringia police limits took matters into her own hands.
Member of Phulbani Child Helpline Siba Shankar Behera said the girl dialled the national child helpline number 1098 seeking urgent protection. She informed the helpline that her parents had fixed her marriage with a 40-year-old man last week against her will. In an attempt to escape the situation, she fled to her aunt’s house in Sarangagarh area.
However, the girl’s aunt informed her parents of her whereabouts. Her parents then decided to take her back on Sunday and reportedly began preparations to conduct the marriage ceremony there, prompting the girl to make a desperate call to the Child Helpline.
Upon receiving the alert, members of Child Helpline along with personnel from Sarangagarh police station immediately reached the location and rescued the girl. She was taken to the local One-Stop centre for safe shelter and counselling.
“The girl is a meritorious student. She opposed her marriage and went from Phulbani to seek refuge at her aunt’s place. When she felt unsafe there as well, she called the Child Helpline number,” said Behera, adding that the girl wants to pursue her studies further.
Officials said the minor has been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for rehabilitation and further assistance as per legal provisions.
While no case has been registered in this connection so far, the incident has once again underscored the importance of awareness programmes and effectiveness of Childline 1098 in preventing child marriages and safeguarding rights of minors.