The Radio Swayamshakti Initiative launched the Bachpan Express Campaign on Wednesday at Khariar with assistance from the Community Radio Association and the Unicef.
The slogan of the campaign is ‘Say no to child marriage and dropout.’ A meeting was held on the occasion in the radio station of Swayamshakti Initiative in the presence of media persons, Government officials and advocates. Welcome address was given by Anupama Patel of Swayamshakti Initiative.
Advocate Yudhishthir Meher spoke about the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 which came into force on November 1, 2007. He told that there is a need of awareness in the community.
Speaking on the Right to Education, lawyer Rabindra Kumar focussed on the problem of education in Nuapada district and lack of proper implementation of the Act which results in loss of quality education.
The chief guest on the occasion was Mano Kumari Limbo, CDPO and the block-level Child Marriage Prohibition Officer (CMPO). A poster on Bachpan Express was unveiled by the CMPO. She told about the Government mechanism to eradicate the evil of child marriage from the society. "Marriage of girls below the legal age is very low in Khariar block where as it is high in Nuapada block. But the problem is that there are some cases of girls of outside areas marrying the boys of this block before attending legal age of marriage," she said.
"However, we can also check all these rare cases if we remain alert," she added.
Swayamshakti Initiative CEO Biswajit Padhi concisely spoke on the objective of the campaign and requested the mediapersons for cooperation. Prof Padmalochan Barma gave a vote of thanks.