Bal Vivah Mukti Rath Travels 6.79 Lakh km Across India, Reaches 5.2 Crore People to Fight Child Marriage  

New Delhi: The Bal Vivah Mukti Rath, a nationwide awareness campaign against child marriage, concluded its month-long journey on International Women’s Day after travelling 6,79,077 kilometres across 28 states, 439 districts and 66,344 villages, reaching more than 5.22 crore people with the message of a child marriage-free India.

Launched by Just Rights for Children, the country’s largest network of NGOs working on child protection and child rights, the campaign was part of the Government of India’s 100-Day Intensive Campaign to End Child Marriage. Over 500 Bal Vivah Mukti Rath vehicles travelled across the country, mobilising communities and spreading awareness about laws that prohibit child marriage.

The campaign witnessed widespread participation from political leaders, civil society groups, police personnel, women survivors and religious leaders, cutting across political, social and religious boundaries. According to government data from 2019–21, the prevalence of child marriage in India stands at 23.3 percent, meaning nearly one in every four girls is married before the age of 18.

During its month-long journey, the campaign covered 66,344 villages, organised 2,75,622 awareness activities, and engaged 43,984 faith leaders to promote the message against child marriage.

The Bal Vivah Mukti Rath vehicles were flagged off in different states by several senior leaders and administrators. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the campaign vehicles in their respective states. In addition, 49 state ministers, 82 Members of Parliament, 154 MLAs, and 99 district magistrates or collectors participated in launching the campaign in various districts.

Speaking about the campaign’s impact, Jyoti Mathur, Senior Advisor (Policy) at Just Rights for Children, said the initiative symbolised justice and accountability in the fight against child marriage.

“This vehicle is more than a symbol. It is a vehicle of justice, carrying the promise of law, protection and accountability to communities so that intent translates into real protection on the ground,” she said.

Mathur added that the campaign saw enthusiastic participation from political leaders, administrators, academics and grassroots women leaders. “With such participation and urgency in action, we are confident that India can eliminate the crime of child marriage well before the global deadline of 2030,” she said.

Referring to a recent report by Columbia University, she noted that global discourse is increasingly recognising that child marriage is effectively child rape and must be treated as such.

According to the organisation, Just Rights for Children prevented nearly 1,98,628 child marriages across India in the past year through coordinated efforts with local administrations, law enforcement agencies, community leaders and service providers involved in marriage arrangements such as caterers, tent providers and florists.

The Bal Vivah Mukti Rath campaign was launched to strengthen the Government of India’s nationwide effort against child marriage and mark the one-year anniversary of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat initiative.

The campaign vehicles were equipped with posters, loudspeakers and pledge-signing boards to spread awareness, especially in remote and marginalised communities. While four-wheelers travelled through areas with better road connectivity, motorcycle and bicycle caravans were used to reach remote villages.

The campaign engaged panchayats, district administrations, Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), schools and religious institutions, organising rallies, street plays, pledge ceremonies and cultural programmes to spread awareness.

Overall, the campaign covered 27,767 religious places and 39,221 schools, colleges and educational institutions, reinforcing the nationwide call to end child marriage in India.