Wed as a child, 17-year-old gets marriage annulled

Rewari: It is not easy anywhere in this country. In Haryana, nigh impossible for a young girl to take on the might of social and parental pressure and take charge of her future. 

Seventeen-year-old Renu showed rare courage when she got her marriage of four years annulled this week.

Renu Yadav was 13 when she was married off. Barely able to care for herself, she was asked to care for a husband. But even at that age, Renu refused to be a docile victim. The child bride was adamant she would not leave home with her groom, insisting she wanted to study.

"I did not understand what marriage meant. I refused to go even though the groom's parents were forcing my father. I stood firm, I wanted to study," says Renu.

And she did just that. Her father recalls, "My daughter pressurised us. She said she wanted to pursue her studies and take up a job. She wanted to either join the police force or become a teacher."

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A teacher is what Renu is studying to be now. But first, she had to take charge of her life. In school Renu learned of the Child Marriage Prevention Act and earlier this year filed a petition seeking that her marriage be annulled.

On Monday, a Haryana court ruled in favour of annulling the child marriage. Neelam Sharma, a district child-marriage prevention officer says, "I give the credit to Renu. She is the one who convinced her parents."

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Renu now knows a little more about the responsibilities of marriage. But right now a career is her priority.