In an inspiring tale of courage, a girl
from South Tripura has been chosen for the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya
Bal Puraskar for thwarting six child marriages, including her own. The young
hero, Jyotsna Akhter, will be among 19 exceptional children receiving the award
from President Droupadi Murmu in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on January
22.
Last year, Jyotsna, a meritorious Class
X student at Belonia’s Amjad Nagar High School, took a stand against her own
marriage at the age of 15 and successfully prevented five more child marriages
in her village.
Despite facing resistance from her
parents who initially intended to marry her off, Jyotsna persisted in her
efforts to convince them. When her pleas went unheard, she found a way to reach
out for help. Confined in her house and not allowed to interact with friends or
attend school, she managed to contact one of her teachers, narrating her
plight.
The teacher promptly reported the
situation to the NGO Childline, which, with the assistance of local administration,
rescued Jyotsna from her house. Subsequently, the teacher and officials engaged
in counselling her parents, successfully persuading them to abandon the
decision to marry off their daughter against her wishes.
The Bal Puraskar ceremony will feature
an interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Women & Child
Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani, and the awarded children. They will be
congratulated for their exceptional performances in various categories,
accompanied by Minister of State Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai.
