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Jodhpur: Married in 2003, girl wins battle as court annuls child marriage
Doing her Bachelor of Education, Samta (21) is daughter of a daily wager and resident of Tinwari tehsil in Jodhpur
She was married when was only 2.5 years old but her dreams to become a teacher gave her strength to break the shackles of child marriage.
Now after 18 years, Samta is a free bird after annulment of child marriage by a family court in Jodhpur.
Doing her Bachelor of Education, Samta (21) is daughter of a daily wager and resident of Tinwari tehsil in Jodhpur. She was married in 2003 to a young man from Osian tehsil, when she was two-and-a-half years old.
Dr Kriti Bharti of Saarthi Trust, an NGO working against child marriage said, a few years ago, the in-laws constantly pressured her for the ceremony of gauna, which led Samta to depression, especially on seeing her dream of becoming a teacher getting shattered.
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Noticing her friend’s plight, her friend Rekha searched and gathered information about Saarthi Trust. Thereafter, they approached them and a case was filed in the Jodhpur Family Court seeking annulment of her child marriage.
“After the case for annulment of child marriage was filed, we also counseled the husband to get the child marriage annulled by consent. In which the advocate of the respondent also agreed and cooperated,” she said.
On behalf of Samta, Bharti argued in the family court and made them aware of the facts of child marriage and age-related proof. The judge, Pradeep Kumar Modi, issued an order to annul the child marriage.
Expressing joy, Samta said, “I have won the battle against child marriage. Now, I am free to fulfil my dream of becoming a teacher.”
Saarthi Trust has so far annulled 46 child marriages and stopped over 1,500 child marriages.
