Right after the Annual Conference held at Kolkata, our Bankura branch has jumped into action. A tribal girl, Putul Tudu aged 12 years was being given in marriage against her will. It is not only illegal in India, but unethical and inhuman. Our secretary Biplab Das from Bankura visited the remote village Housibad amidst the jungles of Taldangra with another member Tarun Rakshit on 9th March and stopped the wedding. He informed the police and got the attention of the administration and saved the girl. It is not common among tribals to marry so young. And normally tribal youths choose their own partners with each other’s consent. This was an exceptional case, probably urged by extreme poverty.

With in two days, on 10 th march 2010, Biplab Das and his friends got the girl admitted to local Taldangra Girls’ School and also managed to get hostel accomodation. A hostel in the name of Kasturba Gandhi offers residence to local girl students at a nominal cost.

This incident will act as a precedence and deter other such stray incidents in the poor tribal zone. The village panchyat will also be able to take similar steps whenever necessary.