19 year old, married at age of 10 months; defy child marriage for studies

After suffering for 18 long years after being married off at a tender age of 10 months, 19-year-old Urma Bishnoi has finally ended the shackles of child marriage. Urma, who is from Kaparda village in Jodhpur, was married off to a boy from the same village in 1999 when she was just 10 months old. The boy was allegedly involved in criminal activities.

After Urma became an adult, she refused to accept the child marriage. But her in-laws started putting pressure on her and her family and allegedly threatened her with physical harm. Certain caste 'panchs' also threatened to impose a penalty and a social boycott of the girl's family if the child marriage was called off.

This is when Urma came to know about the child marriage annulment campaign of Dr Kriti Bharti of Saarthi Trust. She contacted Bharti and with her support filed a case to cancel her child marriage in a Family Court in Jodhpur. Bharti appeared on behalf of Urma and submitted documents related to her age.

On Friday, judge P.K. Jain passed orders to axe Urma's child marriage. Said Urma: "With the help of Kriti didi, my child marriage is over which was done at the age of 10 months. Now I will study and determine my future." Bharti told IANS: "Urma was under tremendous mental pressure due to this child marriage. Now best efforts are being made for her better rehabilitation." Bharti's Trust has annulled 38 child marriages in India and also prevented thousands of child marriages from taking place.

(With inputs from agencies.)