A 15-year-old girl from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr) district was spared a life-altering fate after the swift and decisive intervention of officials concerned, led by Punjab’s Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur. The incident, which unfolded a few months ago, underscored the Punjab Government’s firm resolve to eliminate child marriage and uphold the rights of every girl child.
The minor made a distress call to the ‘112’ emergency helpline from a local beauty parlour — moments before she was to be wed. Acting on her plea, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crimes Against Women and Children) alerted the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), setting into motion a swift and coordinated rescue operation.
Within hours, a joint team comprising officials from the DCPU, the Child Development Project Officer, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), and the Station House Officer (SHO) reached the marriage venue. The girl was rescued before the ceremony could proceed. Upon investigation, it emerged that the family, under pressure from social norms and disheartened by the girl’s disinterest in formal studies, had arranged the marriage. The groom’s family was made aware of the legal repercussions of marrying a minor, and both families, in the presence of the village Sarpanch, gave written undertakings to call off the marriage.
Dr Baljit Kaur commended the swift response of the district officials, calling the incident a “reflection of the state’s zero-tolerance policy toward child rights violations”. The rescued girl was later produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which, considering the risk of recurrence, ordered her placement in a Children’s Home in Jalandhar. She was eventually reunited with her family and, upon expressing no interest in resuming formal education, was enrolled in a vocational training course to secure her future.
The Minister urged village leaders, social organizations, and the public to be vigilant and report any incidents of child marriage to the child helpline at 1098. “We need the people’s support to end this social evil. One call can change a life. We will act — and protect your identity,” she assured.
This single act of courage by a young girl, met with swift administrative action, now stands as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when community awareness and governance come together to protect the voiceless.
