A Call to Protect Every Child

On August 15, 2025, as India unfurled its tricolor, we set out to celebrate a different kind of freedom—the right of every child to safety and dignity and a future free from harm. The mood was bright when a single phone call tore through the cheer and redirected our path.

An 11-year-old girl, just past her birthday, was in acute distress. She weighed only 29 kilograms, her haemoglobin had fallen to 8 g/dL and she was five months pregnant. Doctors found injuries that spoke of abuse endured at the hands of someone she trusted. The news was heavy, but it crystallized our resolve: protect, pursue justice and help every survivor heal.

Within an hour, Our Udaan and Mukti Vahini teams rushed to her aid in Rahuri. The family, already overwhelmed by fear and poverty, needed steadiness. At Vilad village’s clinic, Mukta (name changed) was stabilized and prepared for the next steps. Our team offered clear, compassionate guidance to the parents, turning chaos into a roadmap for care.

Mukta was moved to the district government hospital, where doctors began a grueling night of tests and treatment. Our caregivers stayed by her side: sharing meals, offering quiet words of reassurance and helping navigate the medical and legal maze that follows such trauma. The parents, exhausted yet hopeful, clung to each small sign of progress.

The legal path soon followed. Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, a complaint was filed at the MIDC Police Station. The perpetrator, a close family relative, was arrested swiftly and her case began its course through the justice system. But the immediate crisis persisted — the bleeding and pain did not relent, and the team faced the harrowing possibility that Mukta’s pregnancy might end in tragedy as well.

In the district hospital’s operating theatre, doctors fought to save both mother and child. The baby was delivered but survived only briefly. The loss was devastating, a stark reminder of the fragility of childhood. Yet Mukta’s life was saved by the swift, selfless actions of medical teams and the unwavering support of our ground network.

And so began a longer journey — one of healing, protection and consistent advocacy. The institutional response met the human need: ongoing rehabilitation, education for Mukta and a determined pursuit of accountability for the crime. The road ahead requires not just justice in court, but protection in daily life, communities free of stigma and a future where Mukta can speak, learn and dream without fear.

This Independence Day reminded us that freedom has many layers: political sovereignty, personal autonomy and a child’s right to grow up in safety. We reaffirm our pledge to stand between a child and harm, to translate trauma into resilience, and to light a path for many more to follow.

If you would like to support Mukta’s ongoing rehabilitation and our broader mission to protect children and pursue justice, please consider joining our work. Every act of care — whether a conversation, a donation or a volunteer hour — helps turn moments of horror into decades of hope.

If you find any incident like this or a child in distress, abandoned or scared, please contact our Mukti Vahini helpline on 9011098008 or 9011026495.