New Delhi: Fifteen-year-old Sangita Bauri never feared her parents and society when she opposed her forcible marriage in a remote village in West Bengal but she trembled when she was honoured here by President Pratibha Patil for her feat.
Bauri along with two other young girls - Bina Kalindi and Mukti Majhi - met Patil on Wednesday after they were called by the President hearing the tale of their daunting courage and refusing child marriage in their village in West Bengal`s Purulia.
"I never feared when I said no to my marriage sometime back. I went against everyone...my parents, elders and others in my village...they had to relent. But when I was told I would be meeting the President and she will honour me, I went cold," Bauri said here after she was felicitated by Patil with a cash reward of Rs 10,000. Bauri, who was accompanied by her father Bibuthi for the meet, was visibly happy but tensed when she received the cash packet from Patil.
"I am very happy to see what these three girls have done to oppose a social evil like child marriage. These young school-going girls will be a source of inspiration for many others like them in an around their village," Patil said as she met the three girls and their parents at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
PTI