There was little surprise among the students of a government school when two of their classmates arrived with the signs of newlyweds. Teachers suspected the truth but chose to ignore it.

Rani and Pinki (names changed), aged 15 and 16, were married with full celebration in Hanuman ji Ka Jhopda village on July 15, just before the annual wedding season ended. The sisters, from an Other Backward Caste, are in classes 9 and 10 at a government school in Hindoli, Bundi district.

Despite laws against child marriage, the practice persists in Rajasthan villages. It’s common to see a husband or in-laws drop a young bride off at school.

“I performed the ‘kanyadaan’ for Rani, one of the child brides,” said Rukamani Bai (name changed), a househelp in Bundi, who took four days off to attend the weddings and spent about Rs 10,000 on gifts.

A teacher, speaking anonymously, said they notice girls suddenly wearing sindoor and bangles but can do little. Complaints to authorities are often ineffective, and the community may withdraw the girl from school in retaliation.

When asked about Rani and Pinki, their teachers claimed ignorance but confirmed their absence for several days. In rural areas, younger daughters are often married off with their older sisters to save costs, though they don’t join their in-laws until adulthood.

Authorities monitor such marriages, but the system has flaws. Some locals support child marriage, calling for changes to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. They argue that minor couples continue their education and seek government jobs.

Dikshant Soni, BJP’s OBC forum general secretary in Bundi, acknowledged child marriages and called for changes to the law, citing poverty and early puberty as causes.

Bhairu Prakash Nagar, Deputy Director of Social Justice and Women Empowerment, noted that child marriages often occur around Akshaya Tritiya and Pipal Purnima. Local Deputy Superintendent of Police Ghanshyam Meena denied reports of such marriages in the area.

Other teachers reported that Rani and Pinki are not isolated cases. They recounted incidents of other young girls being married off, including a class 7 girl engaged to a class 9 boy, and a class 10 girl married in March.

According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), 23.3% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18.

Source: PTI

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