In a proactive effort to combat child marriage, Khowai District Magistrate Chandni Chandran has launched an initiative named CHESTA (Child Marriage Elimination through Sensitization, Tracking, and Awareness). The primary objectives of CHESTA include preventing child marriage, curbing dropout rates at the secondary level by reintegrating victims into education, and preventing teenage pregnancies.
The district administration will collaborate with various departments, clubs, social organizations, and religious groups, including Pandits, Purohits, and Oshais, to implement the initiative. The plan incorporates robust tracking and prevention measures.
Tracking will be conducted through two modes: in-school and out-of-school. Batika Manch, an association of school-going girls led by a female teacher, will be established in all schools in Khowai. Members of the Manch will be responsible for reporting any incidents of child marriage to their guide teacher. If any female student over the age of 13 is absent from class for more than a week, Balika Manch members will visit the student’s house to identify the reason. In case of any suspected child marriage involving an absentee student or anyone else, the information will be relayed to the guide teacher.
A WhatsApp group of guide teachers, including members of the district administration and the District Information System for Education (DISE), will be created to share real-time information regarding any suspected child marriages. The guide teacher of Balika Manch will also serve as the nodal point for other students to report child marriage plans, whether for themselves or others. The teacher’s phone number will be displayed prominently in at least three places within the school. The nodal teacher will act as the initial counselor for parents of children at risk of child marriage.
Any victim of child marriage wishing to rejoin school will receive an initial financial aid of Rs. 5000. These individuals will be designated as Balika Jyoti, enrolled in an age-appropriate class, and included in the Balika Manch in their schools. The same financial aid will be extended to dropout girls between the ages of 12 and 18 seeking to return to school. If the parent of such an adolescent girl is a Nirman Shramik (construction worker), instead of financial aid, a labor inspector will be contacted to include them under specific applicable schemes.
As part of this initiative, awareness campaigns will be conducted to educate girls and their families about the consequences of child marriage. The initiative has received positive feedback from many in the Khowai community.
