Lakshmi could have been a child bride
Lakshmi, a 16-year-old girl from Mubarakpur, sings a poignant song against child marriage, which she wrote to persuade her father not to marry her off at a young age. With the support of local workers and her community, she is now actively involved in efforts to combat child marriage and educate others about its legal implications. A recent UNICEF report highlights that India has a significant number of child brides, with Uttar Pradesh being the state with the highest prevalence.
- ▪Lakshmi's marriage was initially fixed when she was in Class 5, prompting her to write a song to express her desire to continue her education.
- ▪According to a 2023 UNICEF report, India accounts for 34% of the world's child brides, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest number.
- ▪In Chandauli district, the percentage of women married before age 18 has decreased from 33.7% to 17.2% between 2015-2021.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Sixteen-year-old Lakshmi’s voice travels through the streets of Mubarakpur. She sings in the Hindi-Bhojpuri strain of Chandauli, a district in Uttar Pradesh bordering Bihar. “Apne bojh bhale Papa, lihab utaare, hamra ke deb Papa, jite di ki maari. Kam hi umar mein Papa, kar na biyah ho,” (Papa, even if you get me married thinking I am your burden, you would have killed me while I am still alive. Papa, please don’t marry me off at such a young age).Lakshmi wrote the song for her father when she was in Class 5. At the time, her marriage had been fixed, and she had wanted to study further. When Lakshmi first sang the song, her was not convinced by its message. Eventually, with intervention from anganwadi workers and the village pradhan, he agreed to pause her marriage.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hindu — Top.
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