Union Minister says grassroots organisations are crucial to preventing child marriage, trafficking, exploitation and abuse
New Delhi: The Union government is working with civil society organisations to make India free from child marriage by 2030, Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said, reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to protecting children from exploitation, trafficking and abuse.
Speaking at the inaugural session of a four-day national consultation titled “Ensuring Child Rights, Potential and Prosperity” at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, Thakur said grassroots organisations and frontline workers would play a crucial role in achieving the government’s child protection goals.
The consultation, organised by Just Rights for Children, has brought together representatives of more than 250 partner organisations. According to the organisers, these organisations collectively work across all 782 districts of the country to strengthen child protection systems and advance children’s rights.
Describing child protection as one of the country’s most demanding responsibilities, Thakur praised frontline workers and civil society volunteers involved in rescuing children from exploitation and trafficking.
“Saving even one child’s life is among the noblest acts. Many young girls become victims of trafficking and never find their way back home. These children wait for someone to rescue them, and the volunteers of NGOs who rescue them from sexual exploitation are nothing short of angels,” she said.
The Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the elimination of child marriage by 2030 a national priority. Several initiatives were being undertaken under the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign to meet this objective, she added.
Commending the work of Just Rights for Children, Thakur said the organisation’s contribution towards realising the vision of a child marriage-free India would remain significant.
Lavu Krishna Devarayalu, Convener of MPs for Children and Parliamentary Party Leader of the Telugu Desam Party in the Lok Sabha, said India’s campaign against child marriage was emerging as an example for other countries.
“This is an extraordinary movement. India has demonstrated that ending child marriage is possible, and the campaign initiated by Just Rights for Children is now inspiring action beyond our borders,” Devarayalu said.
He also highlighted emerging risks faced by children in the digital sphere and referred to a Private Member’s Bill introduced by him in Parliament to strengthen safeguards against threats associated with social media.
Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children, said the launch of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign on November 27, 2024, had helped transform efforts against child marriage into a nationwide movement.
He said the initiative had expanded into a broader effort to empower children through justice, technology, leadership and collective action involving governments, civil society, academic institutions, communities and young people.
“India is demonstrating that when governments, civil society, academia, communities and young people unite behind a common purpose, change is inevitable. This is no longer just India’s story; it is India’s message to the world that investing in children is the most important investment any nation can make,” Ribhu said.
He claimed that the organisation and its partners had prevented more than 5.5 lakh child marriages over the past three years.
“Every time we stop a child marriage in a village, we do more than protect one child. We send a clear message to the entire community that child marriage is a crime that has no place in a modern society,” he said.
