Sarita, 15, and her friend Mali, 14, are nothing short of stars at the middle school in Punsa village, about 25 km from the steel hub of Jamshedpur, in Jharkhand. Earlier this year, the two stopped their families from getting them married off — with a little help from “Pradeep sir”, their teacher Pradeep Kumar.
They went to each other’s homes, along with fellow students and Kumar, and successfully convinced their families in calling off the wedding plans.
Stating that child marriage has gradually declined in areas around Jamshedpur, although stray cases still emerge, Kumar said, “When students such as Mali and Sarita bring cases to my notice I take a group of students to talk the parents out of marrying off their minor children.”
Read more of this inspiring story in a report by Sarah Hafeez published in The Indian Express...
