Udaipur: On the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, Gayatri Seva Sansthan (GSS), an NGO dedicated to child rights protection, in coordination with the district administration, prevented 13 child marriages scheduled across Rajasthan. Of these, nine cases were stopped in Udaipur, two in Pratapgarh and two in Sikar.Yashoda Paniya, acting chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Udaipur, stated that prompt action was taken by the administration and Dabok Police Station after information was received from the organisation, leading to the prevention of six child marriages in a village. Local officials, including the patwari, gram secretary and sarpanch, were summoned and briefed on the directives of the Rajasthan High Court.The High Court, while hearing a petition filed by Just Rights for Children, held gram panchayats accountable for any failure to prevent child marriages within their jurisdiction, emphasising their legal responsibility in such cases. In view of safety concerns, one boy and one girl were placed in a shelter home with the support of the organisation.Shailendra Pandya, Director of Gayatri Seva Sansthan, said the organisation announced a reward of Rs 1,100 for individuals providing information about child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya across five districts, while ensuring confidentiality of informants. He said the initiative was carried out in collaboration with the District Legal Services Authority, Child Welfare Committee and Child Helpline over a month-long campaign, and a dedicated helpline number was also issued to encourage reporting.He said the organisation continued to undertake focused campaigns on sensitive occasions like Akshaya Tritiya. As part of its broader efforts, a “Child Marriage Free India Rath” was launched to support the Govt of India’s 100-day intensive awareness drive, Child Marriage Free India. He said the campaign vehicle travelled extensively across five districts, spreading awareness and encouraging community participation.Pandya said these sustained efforts were yielding results, with increased reporting of child marriage cases and prompt administrative intervention. He said the organisation recently succeeded in getting two child marriages annulled through legal intervention and, for the first time in the state, secured a court-issued injunction to prevent child marriages in tribal areas.
