Kudos to Kalindi!
In connection with my previous blog post, education is quite possibly the strongest force against any form of domestic violence. Recently reported in The Washington Times, Rekha Kalindi a little girl at the age of 13 years had the guts to go against her parents orders of her getting married at a young age.
“My sister Jyotsna, now 16, got married at 12 and has already had four dead babies. She now lives with her second husband because the first one left her. Still, my parents wanted me to get married, but I said no, I want to study. They finally agreed,” Rekha said.
Living in a mud hut on one meal a day, Rekha made a long journey by train from this obscure hamlet in West Bengal to India’s prosperous capital, New Delhi — where she was feted by the country’s first female president, Pratibha Patil.
This act of defiance made her an icon and the news has rippled through the district of Purulia emboldening many children to say no to Child Marriage and instead opt for education and a healthy life.
According to the UNICEF, 40% of the world’s child marriages occur in India, and 78,000 young Indian women die in childbirth and from pregnancy complications each year.
For benefit of all the story is in the link below please read…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/2/indian-girl-rails-against-early-arranged-marriages/
Share this:
