Child bride moves court to annul marriage in Rajasthan

After suffering for 18 long years, Urma Bishnoi finally gathered the courage to approach the court to get her child marriage annulled.
Bishnoi, who was married when she was just a 10-month-old infant, received support from Dr Kriti Bharti, rehabilitation psychologist and managing trustee of Saarthi Trust, who challenged her child marriage in the family court-1 of Jodhpur on Tuesday.
Bishnoi, from Jambanagar of Kaparda village of Jodhpur, was married off to a boy from the same village in 1999.
After the 19-year-old became an adult she refused to accept the marriage. Bishnoi’s in-laws started putting pressure on the family and also threatened with dire consequences like cutting their nose and ears. Certain caste panchs are also threatening the family of a social boycott if the child marriage is annulled. Bishnoi and her family are frightened.
“I do not accept child marriage. I was married when I was just 10 months. I want to study. With Kriti didi’s help, I have filed the case and hope to get justice soon,” said Bishnoi.
“Bishnoi is under tremendous mental pressure due to her in-laws. A case has been filed in the court for the annulment of the child marriage,” said Bharti.
Bharti of Saarthi Trust had got the first annulment of child marriage in India and in 2015 she got another two child marriages annulled in three days of court proceedings and created history. The trust has annulled 35 child marriages in India and also prevented thousands of child marriages.
According to a Supreme Court observation, there are 23 million child brides in India, the highest in the world.
National Family Health Survey (2015-16) data shows that 26.8% of girls in India are married before their 18th birthday. In Rajasthan, the percentage of such girls is 35.
Though boys are also married off early, it is the girls who are most affected. Health experts say early and forced marriages lead to early and unsafe motherhood, putting the lives of the girls at risk. According to the NFHS data, 7.9% women in the 15-19 age group were already mothers or pregnant at the time of the survey.
-
Sutradhara’s tales: When Pune minted coins…literally!
Pune city is blessed with some avid coin collectors who opened up their treasures to me to reveal the historical coins that were minted in the city, three four centuries ago. Pune was never the capital of any significant dynasty, but rose to power in the 18th century under the Peshwas. But, first minted coins of Pune were published half a century earlier by non-other than emperor Aurangzeb.
-
‘Break silence’: Guv appeals to Bengal intelligentsia on SP Mookerjee’s birthday
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped up his attack against the Trinamool Congress government in the state while speaking at a program organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party to celebrate the birth anniversary of party idealogue Shyamaprasad Mookerjee. The TMC government's acrimonious relationship with Raj Bhawan has been in the news for various reasons ever since Dhankhar was appointed governor in July 2019.
-
Madhya Pradesh police book TMC MP Mahua Moitra over comments on Goddess Kaali
Trinamool Congress member of Parliament Mahua Moitra has been booked by the Madhya Pradesh police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after Moitra's comments on Goddess Kaali drew flak on social media, officials said on Wednesday. The action was taken against Moitra after chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan raised objection on her comment. Multiple FIRs have been registered against Canada-based director Leena Manimekalai's in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
-
Sangli mass murders: One more arrested for supplying poison to prime accused
Police on Wednesday arrested a person from Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district for allegedly supplying poisonous substance to the main accused for killing nine family members of the same family in Mhaisal town of Sangli district. Police officials said that Bagwan and Kshirsagar have a common Solapur connection. Kshirsagar moved to Talegaon Dabhade from Solapur five years ago.
-
Nitish Kumar meets Lalu Yadav in hospital, ‘wish him a speedy recovery’, he says
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar met Lalu Yadav at Patna's Paras Hospital on Wednesday, where the Rashtriya Janata Dal boss is receiving treatment for a fracture and other injuries sustained after falling down the stairs at his home in the city. "Met RJD chief shri Lalu Prasad Yadavji at Paras Hospital in Patna and inquired about his health. Wishing Lalu Prasad Yadavji a speedy recovery," he said.