Lucknow: In a statewide push against child marriage, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday launched extensive awareness drives across all 75 districts under Mission Shakti 6.0, using street plays, short films and community outreach programmes to educate people about the social and legal consequences of marrying off children at a young age.The campaign was led by Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) police stations in coordination with district probation officers, voluntary organisations and other govt departments. The programmes were held in villages identified as vulnerable to child marriage, with a focus on sensitising families, community leaders and adolescents.As part of the initiative, police screened Badhte Bachche, a short film produced by the Women and Child Security Organisation of UP Police, and staged street plays highlighting children’s rights, the importance of education and the long-term impact of early marriage. Officials used the campaign to spread the message that children should be in school pursuing their dreams rather than being burdened with marital responsibilities.The anti-child marriage drive was part of a wider Mission Shakti 6.0 outreach programme, which also saw the state organise its first-ever Pink Samadhan Diwas/Mission Shakti Tehsil Diwas across all districts on Oct 17. Organised in coordination with district administrations, the initiative focused on hearing women’s grievances and ensuring their timely redressal.According to police figures, 326 Pink Samadhan Diwas events were organised statewide, during which 3,614 complaints related to women were received. Of these, 2,330 grievances were resolved on the spot. Authorities also distributed 59,142 awareness materials during the programme.The Mission Shakti campaign witnessed large-scale public engagement across the state. Police organised 37,385 awareness meetings for women at temples and other religious venues and distributed over 15.18 lakh pamphlets on govt welfare schemes. Additionally, 29,749 meetings were conducted in gram panchayats and urban wards, drawing participation from nearly 12.87 lakh people.
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