Jodhpur, March 22 A woman here reclaimed her life through a legal battle after a decade-long marriage that was solemnized when she was just 12, paving the way for others like her who had lost their childhood to a regressive custom.
On Thursday, Judge Varun Talwar of the Family Court annulled the marriage of Khushboo (name changed), observing that child marriage undermines both the present and future of children, and called for a collective societal action to eliminate it.
The marriage, which took place in 2016 when Khushboo was about 12 years old, was declared void under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
Khushboo, who belongs to the Bishnoi community, recalled being a schoolgoer and having little understanding of what was happening around her as community elders took the lead in arranging the marriage.
She said that decisions were largely driven by customs, leaving her parents with limited say. It was only as she grew older that the implications of the marriage became clear to her; that she had been bound in a relationship she neither chose nor fully comprehended.
The turning point came a few years later, when pressure from her in-laws to begin conjugal life took its toll.
Distressed but determined not to continue in the marriage, she approached the police and was subsequently connected with social activist Kriti Bharti of Sarathi Trust.
"They initially hesitated, but seeing my resolve and convinced by my elder sister, who herself had been married as a child, they agreed," Khushboo said.
With Bharti's assistance, Khushboo filed a petition in the family court about 18 months ago, seeking annulment.
During the hearings, she presented documents establishing her age at the time of marriage, maintaining that the union had been conducted without her consent.
Her in-laws claimed that the marriage had taken place after both parties were adults, but lost the case.
Bharti said getting the groom's side to agree to annulment was far from easy.
"Who would so easily want to relinquish their right to the bride? It is engraved in customs as well as ego, and taking such cases in hand means humiliation and abuse," the activist said.
Khushboo's case sheds light on the role of certain customs that perpetuate child marriage, a blight that persists despite legal curbs.
The ceremony, Bharti said, was linked to a ritual called mauser (Mrityubhoj), which takes place following a death in the family. A part of the ritual is marrying off multiple children in a communal gathering.
Activists say such occasions often prioritise tradition over legality, with families fearing social boycott if they resist.
Meanwhile, Khushboo, who had dropped out after class 7, has resumed her studies and is preparing for her secondary examinations through open schooling.
"It is also my elder sister's wish that I complete my education and become self-reliant," she said.