When I was in Class X, my marriage was fixed to a 25-year-old relative. I was 15 at the time. The anganwadi worker called Childline one day before the marriage. Childline contacted MV Foundation (MVF) and also the police. The next morning MVF volunteers and the police came home. By then, my family knew that my marriage was going to be stopped and decided not to make any public preparations. There were no signs of a wedding being held. My house was whitewashed and inside there were preparations for the ‘devunilagnam’ puja – but as if it was not for my wedding. We went to the nearby temple to perform the marriage. In the meantime, the police came to the temple and — all of us — the families, bridegroom, me and everyone else attending the wedding were rounded up and taken to the police station. The police tried to negotiate, persuade and threaten. They told us about the child marriage law and that the marriage was illegal. I was tutored by my parents to say that I was willing and wanted the marriage. My family would just not relent and said that they had made all arrangements for the marriage. The bridegroom’s parents announced that my marriage was already over and they would take me to their house.
The police felt we were being adamant and took us to the Collector’s office. The Collector ordered that I be admitted into the KGBV and counseled my family, saying that she would immediately transfer Rs.10,000 to me and support my education. She did not allow my mother take me home. I completed Class X in KGBV and was allowed to take the exam in the village, escorted by constables with strict instructions from the Collector that my family would not be allowed to meet me. I am now studying Class XI in Sadashivpet Junior College.
The family rued that they had accumulated debt worth Rs.4 lakh, purchased gold and had become a laughing stock. The Collector has said that all children who are 5-18 years of age have to study. If there is a child marriage, the teacher and anganwadi worker will be suspended. There were no complaints about MVF stopping the marriage. The officials feel that it was a good move to have stopped the marriage.
Narrative provided by M Venkatarangaiya Foundation in their report ‘…and they never lived happily ever after. The battle for justice goes on: Voices of married girls in Telangana’
