Child marriage annulled by court

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

JAIPUR: An Indian couple who “married” when aged just one and three have had their wedding annulled in a ground-breaking case that activists hope will challenge the culture of child marriages.

Laxmi Sargara (18) unknowingly wed her husband Rakesh (20) in the desert state of Rajasthan 17 years ago after their families decided that when they grew up they would live together and have children.

In the first procedure of its type, the pair had their union legally revoked in the city of Jodhpur yesterday as part of a campaign against enforced child marriages.

“I was unhappy about the marriage. I told my parents who did not agree with me, then I sought help,” Sargara said. “Now I am mentally relaxed and my family members are also with me.”

Child marriage is illegal in India but remains common in poor, rural communities.

The girl often remains in her parents’ home until she reaches puberty and is then taken amid great celebrations to her husband’s family.

But when she discovered she was married, Sargara went for advice to social worker Kriti Bharti, who runs the Sarathi Trust in Jodhpur, a welfare organisation that lobbies for children’s rights.

Bharti negotiated with Rakesh, the groom and both families to persuade them that the marriage was unfair.

“It is the first example we know of a couple wed in childhood wanting the marriage to be annulled, and we hope that others take inspiration from it,” Bharti added.

Rakesh, who works driving an earth-mover, at first wanted to press ahead with the relationship but was convinced by his wife’s fierce opposition to agree that the marriage should be revoked.

The marriage was annulled through a joint legal document signed by the two parties and validated by a public official in Jodhpur.

“To ensure that the girl does not face any problem in future, we decided to go for a legal agreement,” said Indu Chaupra, local director of the ministry of women and child development.”The entire process was done in my supervision and my office has copies of the agreement.”