BHUBANESWAR: Getting a girl or a boy married before their legal age is still an easy option for many families in rural parts of Nabarangpur and Kandhamal districts but this means an end to their dreams and aspirations in life. Teenagers Sarita Garada and Sarat Ghibala are on the same page when it comes to child marriage.
Sarita and Sarat hail from Rangamatiguda in Nabarangpur and Sarfiguda in Kandhamal respectively, two districts infamous for child marriages in Odisha. Having seen the ill effects of such marriages on minor brides and grooms within their communities, the two college students have stopped close to eight child marriages in the last four years.
Sarita, 18, and Sarat, 17, were felicitated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the eve of International Women’s Day in the city for their work.
While Sarita has rescued five minor girls from being married before the age of 18, Sarat has stopped three including that of his sister. The youngest among three siblings, Sarat was only 13 when he opposed his parents’ wish to get his sister Rashmita, a 16 year-old school dropout then, married. Rashmita, though, wanted to pursue graduation and had spoken to Sarat about her wish. The boy went against his parents and elder brother’s wish to go ahead with Rashmita’s wedding and informed a local NGO which stopped the wedding in 2020. After being counselled, his reluctant parents agreed to allow Rashmita to pursue education again. Sarat, who is now pursuing Plus II from Panchayat College at Phiringia, is on a drive to stop child marriages in the region. Rashmita, too, helps him in his drive.
“It is common in our community to get girls married before or at the age of 15. I am trying to break this cycle. During my free time every day, I go to villages nearby and meet families where there are adolescents to tell them how early marriages can change the life of a girl or a boy in a harmful way. Many of them are still unaware of the legal age of marriage for boys and girls,” said Sarat, who is often accompanied by his sister during such visits. He also brings boys of the villages together to attend government’s ADVIKA sessions that aim at arresting child marriages, every week.
Similarly, Sarita was encouraged to work for the cause following the wedding of some of her friends before they turned 18. A student of BB College in Nabarangpur, she started creating awareness among families about the social evil, and primarily among girls about the problems they would face by eloping with boys.
“Youths brainwashing minor girls and forcing them to elope has been a common practice in our area. And there are many girls who have returned home abused, deserted and even pregnant,” said Sarita who works with the local anganwadi workers for the purpose. The five child marriages she stopped since the Covid-19 pandemic were related to elopement. “When minor girls return home after being deserted, their parents try to marry them off to escape societal embarrassment. And most of these girls are school dropouts. I have been trying to teach young girls not to elope and continue with education,” she said.
The two believe small changes can bring big differences in the child marriage situation.
