A child bride marriage in India has been annulled in a historic groundbreaking case that activists hope will challenge the tradition of child marriages.
Laxmi Sargara, 18, and her husband Rakesh, 20, have been married since she was one year old, in Rajasthan. On Tuesday (the same day as the Akshaya Tritiya festival, a traditional date of mass child weddings), the couple legally revoked the union in Jodhpur as a campaign against enforced child marriages.
Although child marriage is illegal in India, being outlawed in 1992, it still remains common in poor, rural communities where it is seen as improving the financial security of both families.
“I was unhappy about the marriage. I told my parents who did not agree with me, then I sought help. Now I am mentally relaxed and my family members are also with me.”
Sargara sought help from social worker Kriti Bharti, who runs the Sarathi Trust in Jodhpur, a welfare organization that lobbies for children’s rights.
