Faith leaders in Bishnupur, Kangpokpi unite with NLF & IRMA to combat Child Marriage
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 29 2025: In a landmark initiative to prevent child marriage during the upcoming festival of Akshaya Tritiya and the ongoing wedding season, faith leaders from across different religions in Bishnupur and Kangpokpi district have joined the awareness campaign led by New Life Foundation-Manipur (NLF) and Integrated Rural Management Association (IRMA), under the banner of Child Marriage Free India (CMFI) .

With faith leaders publicly pledging their support, New Life Foundation and IRMA is confident that no child marriage will take place in any temple, mosque, church, gurudwara, or other religious establishment across the district.

As part of the campaign, posters and banners have been prominently displayed at places of worship, carrying clear messages that child marriage will not be permitted on their premises.

CMFI, supported by Just Rights for Children (JRC) is a national movement committed to ending child marriage in India by 2030 through legal intervention, mass awareness at scale, and community mobilisation.

JRC is the world's largest legal intervention network for child protection and the driving force behind CMFI.

Over the past two years, through this campaign, over 2 lakh child marriages have been stopped and more than 5 crore people have pledged to stand against child marriage.

New Life Foundation (NLF), Bishnupur and IRMA, Kangpokpi, a partner of CMFI and JRC, has worked closely with district authorities, faith leaders, and communities.

Through timely legal interventions, family counseling, and widespread awareness programs, they prevented/stopped over 3 lakhs child marriage.

The secretary of NLF, Dr L Pishak and director of IRMA, T Lamjaneng Haokip in a separate release has stated that "the campaign is a crucial step forward in our fight to end the heinous crime of child marriage.

While the laws exist, what we often lack is widespread awareness.

Many people are stil unaware that child marriage is a criminal offense in our country.

They do not realize that simply attending, performing or providing any kind of service at a child marriage can lead to imprisonment.

However, with the strong support of faith leaders - without whom no marriage can take place - we are confident that this Akshaya Tritiya will be truly auspicious, marked by the absence of any child marriage of the district" .

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