In a rare display of courage, a 16-year-old tribal girl, Nirlata Tripura, thwarted her own child marriage at Siddhinagar under PR Bari police station in Belonia subdivision.
According to officials, Nirlata, a Class X student of Baganbari High School, approached her school’s Balika Manch after her parents agreed to marry her off despite her objections. Balika Manch in-charge Munmun Madam immediately alerted Childline, prompting swift intervention. The minor was rescued and later produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
Nirlata told authorities that the groom’s family had visited her on 11 January and her parents eventually consented to the proposal under pressure from relatives. She said she aspires to continue her studies and become a police officer.
Her parents, Suresh Tripura and his wife, initially denied the allegations but later acknowledged their mistake. They stated that they now support their daughter’s wish to study further, though they are struggling with financial hardship.
CWC Chairman Rupak Majumdar praised the teenager’s decisive step, noting that this is the second such incident in South Tripura after the case of Josna Akter. He urged all families to refrain from forcing child marriages and assured full support to Nirlata, adding that she will be taken to meet the District Magistrate and Sub-Divisional Magistrate in recognition of her bravery.
