November 14, 2008, Purulia : Eleven-year-old bidi worker Rekha Kalindi's greatest achievement came on the Children's Day today as she persuaded her father to refrain from marrying her off. Karna Kalindi, Rekha's father, looked happy in taking his little daughter to attend a programme in the special school run under the National Child Labour Project at Baratola village in Jhalda-II block of Purulia district in West Bengal. "Rekha is not the only girl to prevent her marriage. Other girls like Ruksana Khatun, Sakina Khatun, Afsana Khatun and Sumita Mahato hailing from poor families in the district and aged between 11 and 13 years have also persuaded their parents to cancel their marriages," Assistant Labour Commissioner, Prasenjit Kundu, said. According to a survey and Census by West Bengal Department of Women and Child Development, child marriage has been endemic among poor people in the impoverished Bengal districts of Purulia, Murshidabad, Malda, Birbhum, South Dinajpur, South 24-Parganas, Nadia and Cooch Behar districts where 48 per cent girls at a minor age.
The report also showed that Jhalda-II block in Purulia has one of the lowest female literacy rates in the country. Kundu said most of the poor people had been engaging minor children into rolling bidis and making sohanpapdi (condiment). "As a result the children cannot attend school and parents too fail to realise the change that education could bring among the children," he said.
Source - PTI
The report also showed that Jhalda-II block in Purulia has one of the lowest female literacy rates in the country. Kundu said most of the poor people had been engaging minor children into rolling bidis and making sohanpapdi (condiment). "As a result the children cannot attend school and parents too fail to realise the change that education could bring among the children," he said.
Source - PTI
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