Married at 14, Nayagarh girl overcomes odds to clear Class X exams
Bhubaneswar: Two dates — Feb 25, 2024 and May 2, 2025 — will remain etched in Sanjukta Nayak‘s (name changed) memory. When she was 14, she experienced severe trauma as her impoverished parents discontinued her studies and compelled her to marry a 29-year-old man in Nayagarh district.
Despite confronting societal discrimination and emotional challenges in the aftermath of child marriage, the 15-year-old overcame all odds and secured 49% marks in her Class X board examination on Friday.
“She was a victim of child marriage. With the help of Nayagarh district administration, we rescued her on Feb 29, 2024, four days after her forceful marriage, from her husband’s house. She was provided immediate shelter and psychological counselling. The counselling continued for several months to help her overcome the trauma,” said child rights activist Sudipta Kumar Sahoo.
The Nayagarh administration noted her challenging journey towards normalcy. “It was not easy for her to return to a normal life. She underwent social stigma, fear and trauma that made reintegration into the school environment challenging. But with a network of govt and community efforts, she bravely resumed her studies. She is an inspiration for others,” said K Koteswari, child development project officer, Khandapada.
The administration emphasised that “child marriage is a social curse that we must all fight together. Sanjukta’s story proves that with education and support, we can transform the life of every child”.
Sanjukta voiced her aspirations for continued education and requested govt’s assistance due to her financial constraints. “My parents are poor, and they forced me to marry. I wanted to study. I am thankful to Sudipta Kumar Sahoo and the district administration for helping me to reshape my career,” she said.
Her father, a labourer, acknowledged his error in arranging his minor daughter’s marriage. “I was unaware of child marriage prohibition. I am glad that my daughter secured good marks in her exams. Her success will motivate other school dropouts in our community to pursue education,” he said.
Despite confronting societal discrimination and emotional challenges in the aftermath of child marriage, the 15-year-old overcame all odds and secured 49% marks in her Class X board examination on Friday.
“She was a victim of child marriage. With the help of Nayagarh district administration, we rescued her on Feb 29, 2024, four days after her forceful marriage, from her husband’s house. She was provided immediate shelter and psychological counselling. The counselling continued for several months to help her overcome the trauma,” said child rights activist Sudipta Kumar Sahoo.
The Nayagarh administration noted her challenging journey towards normalcy. “It was not easy for her to return to a normal life. She underwent social stigma, fear and trauma that made reintegration into the school environment challenging. But with a network of govt and community efforts, she bravely resumed her studies. She is an inspiration for others,” said K Koteswari, child development project officer, Khandapada.
The administration emphasised that “child marriage is a social curse that we must all fight together. Sanjukta’s story proves that with education and support, we can transform the life of every child”.
Sanjukta voiced her aspirations for continued education and requested govt’s assistance due to her financial constraints. “My parents are poor, and they forced me to marry. I wanted to study. I am thankful to Sudipta Kumar Sahoo and the district administration for helping me to reshape my career,” she said.
Her father, a labourer, acknowledged his error in arranging his minor daughter’s marriage. “I was unaware of child marriage prohibition. I am glad that my daughter secured good marks in her exams. Her success will motivate other school dropouts in our community to pursue education,” he said.
