Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

Victims of child marriage fight back

Staff Reporter

NGO backs their struggle for justice

HYDERABAD: Girls of their age were enjoying school and the other frills of teenage while 13-year-old Narasamma and 14-year-old Yadamma found themselves in a strange and unkind world.

Being married off to men twice their age was not all. Harassment, both sexually and otherwise, became daily trappings of the dilemma they were thrown into.

Exploitation

According to an NGO that is now supporting their fight for justice, Yadamma was allegedly sexually exploited by her husband, Ramesh and her father-in-law, Jangaiah.

Narasamma, from Rajapur village in Dharoor Mandal of the neighbouring Ranga Reddy district, refused to share her bed with her husband Narasimhulu and also to give more dowry.

The denial allegedly incited her husband and mother-in-law into efforts to break her spirit by rubbing the `jeedi' seed on her skin.

The seed damages the skin with sores when it is applied.

Trapped

Both the girls were trapped in the illegal bonding in June this year, according to Coordinator of Advocates for Child Rights, Mohammed Raheemuddin. However, they found support to fight back and now have filed complaints with the Parigi police station in Ranga Reddy on December 1 against their husbands.

Legal support

The legal support is being provided by the Child Rights Protection Forum and M.V. Foundation. The girls, currently lodged at the M.V. Foundation camp at Alur in Chevella Mandal in Ranga Reddy, drew attention when they participated in a meeting here on Friday held as part of the 16-day National Campaign against Violence on the Girl Child.

Demanding that their husbands be punished, Narasamma and Yadamma appealed to parents and the society at large that children should not be subjected to such harassment.

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