Bhopal:

In the heart of Madhya Pradesh, nestled amid the rugged terrains of Rajgarh district, lies Jaitpura – a village where time seems to have stopped, leaving dreams in shackles and childhoods stolen. Here, innocence is traded, and the cruel weight of tradition drags children into adulthood long before their time.

Our journey began where the road ended, over narrow, broken paths that echoed the hardship of lives untouched by development.

In these forgotten corners of India, we found children whose laughter has been silenced by customs like child marriage and engagement, bound by the age-old practice of Jhagda-Natra. 

This grim tradition demands exorbitant amounts from families seeking to break free from pre-arranged marriages, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and despair.

The stories of Jaitpura are a reflection of a broader malaise plaguing 50 villages, where over 700 children have lost their right to a carefree childhood. 

Rama Bai, now 40, recalls how her childhood ended abruptly three decades ago.

“I got married at the age of 10 years… Every day, girls here are married off. This must stop,” she said, her voice heavy with the weight of her past. 

Geeta, just 22, carries her young daughter in her arms. Engaged at two, married at 16, she refuses to let history repeat itself. “I will not engage my daughter. This must end with me,” she asserts, her resolve a tiny ray of light amid the darkness that lies heavy over the lives of the children.

One parent explained the harsh reality: “Here relationships are often fixed even before birth. When a woman is six months pregnant, families decide-‘if you have a boy and we have a girl, they will be engaged.’ They stick to their word. As children grow, more money is required, and sometimes, in a drunken state, engagements are finalised. This happened in our family too,” she said, a tone of resignation in her voice.

Childhood Dreams in Chains

These decisions impact children profoundly, robbing them of their innocence and dreams. Some are as young as one year old when they are engaged, marked with bracelets or lockets to signify the commitment.

Dinesh, a young boy, shared a bittersweet moment about his fiancee: “My fiancee is frim Gangapar. She was given a bracelet and a pendent during the engagement.”

Another child, Mangilal’s fiancée, said: “I was just a year old when I got engaged. I don’t remember much, but I know his name is Mangilal. I didn’t receive anything during the engagement.”

For many, these symbols of commitment are not cherished but burdensome. 

A boy, just 10 years old, was vocal about his discomfort. “I was given sweets when I got engaged, but I didn’t want to. I’ve decided-I won’t marry. I’m in the 5th standard, and I want to become a doctor,” he said.

For the young girls, anklets and bangles are not adornments but symbols of oppression. The pain, both physical and emotional, weighs heavily on them.

“My feet hurt a lot because of the anklets. I tell my parents every day, but they say I must wear them. This is bondage. I want freedom from these,” a girl said.

For most, these ornaments represent a lifelong burden. 

A 10-year-old, married when she was far younger, said: “The bangles were put on me during my engagement and marriage. They’re said to enhance a girl’s beauty, but to me, they are shackles. Sometimes, when there is trouble at my in-laws’ house, these bangles are removed and sold.”

Villagers justify the system as a compulsion – a way to escape debt, or wedding expenses. But it is the children who pay the price, their lives reduced to mere transactions.

Govardhan Tanwar, the deputy sarpanch, sounded matter of fact. “Engagements happen when parents are drunk. They take loans, marry off their daughters, and the cycle continues.”

According to the National Family Health Survey-5, 46 per cent of women aged 20-24 in Rajgarh were married before they turned 18. Education remains a distant dream, with over half the women in the district illiterate.

Breaking these shackles comes at a cost. Families must pay hefty fines to annul pre-arranged marriages, often appearing before social panchayats. 

The price of freedom is crushing, leaving many resigned to their fates. In certain regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, if a girl dares to break free from this bondage or refuses to go through with a prearranged marriage, she and her family are summoned before social councils. These councils impose fines, known as ‘jhagda’ (penalty), for canceling the marriage. In some cases, practices like nata or natara, involving widows or abandoned women returning to society, are also intertwined with these traditions. 

Amid these statistics and age-old customs, this story is not just about Jaitpura village-it is a reflection of countless tales of pain and struggle. It is the story of countless villages where tradition chains childhood, and dreams are sold.
 

Guwahati:

Four hundred and sixteen people have been arrested in the third phase of the crackdown against child marriage in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.

The crackdown was launched on the night of December 21-22, he said.

The police have registered 335 cases and the arrested will be produced in court on Sunday.

”Assam continues its fight against child marriage. In Phase 3 operations launched on the night of Dec 21-22, 416 arrests were made and 335 cases registered. The arrested individuals will be produced in court today. We will continue to take bold steps to end this social evil”, the chief minister posted on X.

The state government had launched a drive against child marriage in two phases in February and October in 2023.

In the first phase in February, 3,483 people were arrested and 4,515 cases registered while 915 people were arrested and 710 cases registered in the second phase in October.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Issuing a slew of directions for the effective implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the Supreme Court on Friday said that child marriage deprives children of their agency, autonomy, and right to fully develop and enjoy their childhood.

A bench, headed by CJI DY Chandrachud, ordered state and Union Territory governments to appoint officers solely responsible for discharging the functions of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) at the district level.

“These officers should not be burdened with additional duties that could impede their focus on preventing child marriage,” the bench said.

The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL) raising the grievance that the rate of child marriages in India is alarming despite the enactment of the 2006 Act. The PIL highlighted the practice of appointing an officer with multifarious duties as the CMPO impeded the effectiveness of child marriage prevention measures.

In its judgment, the Supreme Court noted: “The appointment of CMPOs is not a mere statutory formality as part of an ornate virtue signalling. An effective CMPO must make efforts to find their roots in the community, engage with communities and organisations in the area and carry out the painstaking, and sometimes thankless, task of reporting specific factors affecting child marriages in the district.”

It ordered, that given the significant obligations expected to be discharged by a dedicated CMPO, no officer with other responsibilities should be appointed to the post.

“States or UTs shall appoint exclusive CMPOs in each district in addition to any CMPOs already serving in a dual capacity, and they shall equip these officers with adequate resources for the effective discharge of their functions,” it said.

The top court said that a state government or UT administration may file an application before it seeking permission to appoint a CMPO who also holds other duties if instances of child marriage have decreased to the extent that appointing exclusive CMPOs is no longer necessary.

The PIL filed before the Supreme Court had sought stronger enforcement mechanisms, awareness programmes, and comprehensive support systems for child brides to ensure the protection and welfare of vulnerable minors.

In its judgment, the court said that the collectors and superintendents of police in each district across India will also be responsible for actively preventing child marriages within their districts.

“They shall have the authority and responsibility to prosecute all individuals who facilitate or solemnise child marriages, including those who knowingly assist, promote, or bless such marriages, even if reported in public events or media,” it added.

Further, it suggested that the state governments consider the viability of integrating the Special Juvenile Police Unit into the child marriage prevention framework to manage cases of child marriage.

The Supreme Court ordered all magistrates to take proactive measures, including issuing suo motu injunctions to prevent the solemnisation of child marriage.

“Magistrates are encouraged to particularly focus on ‘auspicious days’ known for mass weddings, when the occurrence of child marriages is notably high. Upon receiving credible information or even upon suspicion, Magistrates should use their judicial powers to halt such marriages and ensure child protection,” it said.

The top court also suggested the Union government, in coordination with state governments, assess the feasibility of establishing special fast-track courts exclusively to handle child marriage cases.

“These courts will expedite case proceedings, thereby preventing prolonged delays that often lead to additional harm for the affected children,” it said.

It further ordered the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), to set up a designated portal for online reporting of child marriages.

“This portal will include features for anonymous reporting, allowing victims and concerned citizens to easily lodge complaints and access support services and serve as a centralised platform for collecting and analysing data on child marriage incidents, enabling targeted interventions,” the court said.

The top court suggested the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development consider the viability of providing compensation to girls who opt out of marriage upon reaching the age of majority under the NALSA Victim Compensation Scheme or State Victim Compensation Schemes.

“This compensation should be equivalent to that provided to rape victims, ensuring adequate support for those who have escaped child marriage,” it said.

In a detailed 141-page verdict, the top court stressed that despite progress in awareness campaigns, there is still a pressing need to enhance accountability mechanisms, ensure mandatory reporting, and rehabilitate minors affected by child marriages. It said that girls who are married off early are not only denied their childhood but left to the mercies of their marital home and in-laws, adding that boys who are married early are forced to take up more responsibilities and are pressured to play the role of a provider to the family, earlier in life.

“Both sexes are adversely affected by forced and early marriage. Marrying in childhood has the effect of objectifying the child. The practice of child marriage imposes mature burdens on children who are not physically or mentally prepared to comprehend the significance of marriage,” it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jodhpur:

Married off at the age of just four months, a woman came out of a 20-year unwanted situation on Monday when a family court annulled her child marriage.

Unlike the previous annulment of the marriages solemnised in childhood, this annulment was different as the court ordered her husband to remit the expenditure incurred by Anita in the litigation process.

Daughter of a peasant father, Anita had been married off when she was four months old. When Anita attained the age of 15 years, her in-laws began pressurising the family to send her to the husband’s house.

She resisted all such attempts with support from her elder sister and brother and later she came into contact with Kriti Bharti, managing trustee of Saarthi Trust.

“On Monday, the presiding officer of the family court, Varun Talwar, ordered the annulment and also directed the in-laws to reimburse her with the litigation expenditure,” said Bharti.

“Child marriage is not only a vice but also a crime. This spoils the future of children. If the girl or boy does not want to continue the child marriage, then they have the right to cancel the child marriage. To eradicate the evil of child marriage, significant efforts are needed at the society level,” the order read.

Anita’s parents were initially against their daughter’s decision but when Bharti began counselling them, they consented to support her decision to not to go to her in-laws and annul the marriage.

With the support of her family, we moved the family court and filed a plea for annulment of her marriage, Bharti said.

The husband and her family issues threats to Anita and Bharti despite her attempts to counsel them as well, she said.

The family court, on Monday, annulled the marriage and ruled in Anita’s favour, Bharti added.

Ecstatic at the court order, Anita, now a final-year BA student, said she has got a fresh lease of life. “Now I will focus on my studies and will prepare for competitive exams and higher education,” Anita said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A proposed bill in Iraq’s parliament has sparked widespread outrage and concern, as it seeks to reduce the legal age of marriage for girls to just 9 years old. The controversial legislation, introduced by the Iraq Justice Ministry, aims to amend the country’s Personal Status Law, which currently sets the minimum age for marriage at 18.

The bill would allow citizens to choose between religious authorities or the civil judiciary to decide on family affairs. Critics fear this will lead to a slashing of rights in matters of inheritance, divorce, and child custody.

If passed, the bill would allow girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to wed, sparking fears of increased child marriage and exploitation. Critics argue that this regressive move would undermine decades of progress in promoting women’s rights and gender equality.

Human rights organizations, women’s groups, and civil society activists have vehemently opposed the bill, warning of serious consequences for young girls’ education, health, and well-being. They argue that child marriage leads to increased dropout rates, early pregnancies, and a heightened risk of domestic violence.

According to the United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, 28 percent of girls in Iraq are already married before the age of 18.

“Passing this law would show a country moving backward, not forwards,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Sarah Sanbar said.

Amal Kabashi of the Iraq Women’s Network also voiced strong opposition, stating that the amendment “provides huge leeway for male dominance over family issues” in an already conservative society.

In late July, parliament withdrew the proposed changes when many lawmakers objected. They resurfaced in an August 4 session after receiving the support of powerful Shia blocs that dominate the chamber.

The proposed changes would mark a shift from the 1959 legislation. This law, enacted after the fall of the Iraqi monarchy, transferred family law authority from religious figures to the state judiciary. The new bill would reintroduce the option to apply religious rules, primarily from Shia and Sunni Islam, but does not mention other religious or sectarian communities within Iraq’s diverse population.

Proponents of the bill claim it aims to standardize Islamic law and protect young girls from “immoral relationships.” However, opponents counter that this reasoning is flawed and ignores the harsh realities of child marriage.

By giving power over marriage to religious authorities, the amendment would “undermine the principle of equality under Iraqi law,” Sanbar of HRW said.

It also “could legalise the marriage of girls as young as nine years old, stealing the futures and well-being of countless girls.”

“Girls belong on the playground and in school, not in a wedding dress,” she said.

It is still unclear if this bid to change the law will succeed where several earlier attempts have failed.

Kochi:

The Kerala High Court has ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 is applicable to every citizen of this country irrespective of his or her religion as every Indian is a citizen first and then becomes a member of a religion.

Justice P V Kunhikrishnan in a recent order on a petition to quash a case registered in 2012 in Palakkad against a child marriage, said irrespective of religion, whether a person is Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi etc., the Act is applicable to all.

The petitioners, including the father of the then-minor girl, contended before the court that being a Muslim she enjoys the religious right to marry after attaining puberty, i.e., at the age of 15.

“A person should be a citizen of India first, and thereafter only his religion comes. Religion is secondary and citizenship should come first. Therefore, I am of the considered opinion that, irrespective of religion, whether a person is Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi etc., Act 2006 is applicable to all,” the court said in its July 15 order.

It observed that child marriages deny children their basic human rights, including the right to education, health and protection from exploitation and early marriages and pregnancy can lead to health problems such as infant mortality, maternal mortality and sexually transmitted infections.

“Child marriage often forces girls to drop out of school, limiting their education and future opportunities. Child brides are more vulnerable to domestic violence and abuse. Child marriage can perpetuate poverty and limit economic opportunities for individuals and communities.

“Child marriage can lead to emotional and psychological trauma, including depression and anxiety to the children. Child marriage can lead to social isolation and disconnection from the family and community. Moreover, child marriage is a violation of international human rights law and conventions as well,” the court said in its 37-page order.

An Integrated Child Development Scheme Officer (ICDS Officer) had lodged a complaint to the Vadakkencherry police about a child marriage that took place on December 30, 2012.

The court said it was sad to hear that even after the enactment of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act decades ago, there are allegations of Child Marriage in Kerala.

“The saddest thing is that the petitioners herein are trying to justify the alleged child marriage stating that as per Mohammedan Law, a Muslim girl enjoys a religious right to marry after attaining puberty irrespective of age, even though the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act apply to all the citizens of India without and beyond India,” the judge said.

The high court urged the society to let the children study, travel and enjoy their life according to their wishes and when they attained maturity, let them decide about their marriage.

“In the modern society, there cannot be any compulsion for marriage. The majority of the girls are interested in studies. Let them study and let them enjoy their life, of course with the blessings of their parents. When they attain majority and decide that a partner is necessary for their life, let it happen at the appropriate stage so that child marriage can be eradicated from society,” the court said.

It also suggested that the print and the visual media can play a significant role in raising awareness and prohibiting child marriages.

“It is the duty of the print and visual media to publish articles highlighting the evils of child marriage, sharing stories of survivors and victims, creating awareness about the loss and consequences of child marriage, promoting education and empowerment of girls and exposing perpetrators and their actions,” the order read.

The court also noted that the complaint against the child marriage was filed by a person from the Muslim community itself.

“The same will show that every citizen of this country is aware of the evil of child marriage irrespective of their religion,” it said.

However, the court asked the petitioners to approach the appropriate court on their contention that the date of birth of the child was wrongly mentioned in the concerned school register.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:

Police foiled an attempt to marry off a 12-year-old girl to a 72-year-old man in Charsadda town and arrested the groom, ARY News reported.

According to police, the girl’s father, Alam Syed, had agreed to sell her to the old man for PKR 500,000. Before the ‘Nikkah’, the police intervened and arrested the 72-year-old groom identified as Habib Khan, and the ‘Nikah Khwan’ (a person who solemnizes the marriage). But, the girl’s father fled the scene.

However, the case has been registered against the girl’s father, the 72-year-old man and the ‘Nikkah Khwan’ under the Child Marriage Act, according to the ARY News.

Despite laws against child marriage, such incidents continued to occur in Pakistan.

Recently, law enforcement agencies thwarted similar attempts in Rajanpur and Thatta, where young girls were being forced to marry older men. In one case, an 11-year-old girl in Rajanpur, Punjab, was set to marry a 40-year-old man, as per Ary News.

Separately, a young girl was forcibly married to a 50-year-old landlord in Thatta but fortunately, she was saved after the timely action of the police.

On May 6, the police arrested a 70-year-old man for marrying a 13-year-old girl in Swat

A 13-year-old girl was married to a 70-year-old man in Swat by her father. Getting the information, the police swung into action and took the groom and father of the minor girl into custody, the ARY News said.

The Nikkah Khwan and the marriage witnesses were also arrested, while the minor girl was sent to a hospital for a medical examination.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A 63-year-old priest in Ghana, who is facing backlash for marrying a 12-year-old girl, has insisted that the marriage was not about sexual relationship. A spokesperson of the priest said the girl is expected to help the priest with his “spiritual duties”. Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, a spiritual leader in the Nungua area of the capital, Accra, wed the unidentified child in a huge ceremony on Saturday. Mr Tsuru, known as a “Gborbu Wulomo,” or traditional high priest, wields significant spiritual authority in the Nungua indigenous community.

After the widespread controversy, the girl and her mother were placed under police protection and Ghana’s attorney general opened an investigation, as per a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP).

“The allegations, if proven, constitute a criminal offence for which all persons involved must face prosecution,” the outlet quoted the attorney general’s office as saying in a statement.

Under Ghanaian law, the legal minimum age for marriage is 18.

But the priest’s spokesperson defended his action, saying the girl is not expected to fulfil marital duties until she reaches the legal age of consent, which is 16 in Ghana.

“It’s not a marriage ceremony. There is nothing sexual attached to it. The priest has three customary wives already. It’s a customary role to help the priest with his spiritual duties,” spokesperson Mankralo Shwonotalor said, as per the SCMP report.

Images of the wedding ceremony were widely circulated on social media. It showed dozens of community members attended the event. As per the BBC, women who attended the ceremony were heard telling the girl to be prepared for wifely duties and to use perfumes to boost hear appeal to her husband.

The women also advised her to dress teasingly for her husband, according to the outlet.

The photos triggered a public outcry by many Ghanaians who pointed out that the practice was illegal. Critics have also called for the authorities to dissolve the marriage and investigate the priest.