Stop Child Marriages: Bhuvan Ribhu By: Prof. Neelam Mahajan Singh

Stop Child Marriages: Bhuvan Ribhu 

By: Prof. Neelam Mahajan Singh

'When Children Have Children': A book authored by advocate, child protection activist, Bhuvan Ribhu offers a concrete action plan and strategic blueprint to achieve goals in the fight against child marriage. The book was launched on the occasion of 'International Day of the Girl Child'. While the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign is a clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi; the main objective of Bhuvan Ribhu is to end the physical and mental harassment being inflicted upon children. 

I was introduced to Bhuvan Ribhu at The Foreign Correspondent's Club of South-Asia, New Delhi, during the release of this book, 'When Children Have Children: Tipping Point to End Child Marriage'. A pledge was taken and a resolution was adopted to stop child marriages. 

The programme was launched simultaneously in 250 districts. Safety and empowerment of children and women has also been my topic of study. In a country where every year, lakhs of minor girls are forced into a wedding attire, the clamoring of freedom from child marriage is natural. 

UNICEF estimates that Bhuvan Ribhu's book 'When Children Have Children: Tipping Point to End Child Marriage' offers a comprehensive, strategic blueprint to reduce the child marriage rate in India to 5.5 percent by 2030. This number is on threshold from which the trend of child marriage will automatically start decreasing and the dependence on targeted interventions will start reducing. Bhuvan Ribhu himself is a senior advocate. He has got child protection laws enacted by getting orders passed by the Supreme Court of India. They are working to prevent social issues like child marriage, women's safety, trafficking, child labour, child sexual abuse etc. As a result of Bhuvan Ribhu's struggle, the Supreme Court of India has given several orders to the Juvenile Justice Board. JJB has systematically subpoenaed UN papers, protocols and institutions. Child marriage and child abuse are more prevalent among Hindus, Muslims, backward castes and economically backward classes. 

The 'Prohibition of Child Marriage Act - 2006' has not been implemented at the grass-roots level. Muslim Personal Law: 1937, has provisions that need to be reviewed. Bhuvan Ribhu's book 'When Children Have Children' is enlightening, offering concrete action plans and a strategic blueprint to achieve the goals in the fight against child marriage. Bhuvan Ribhu, is an advisor to 160 NGOs. This book has been launched by child marriage victims, officials of law enforcement agencies and people associated with civil society organizations. During a panel discussion on child marriage, victims themselves narrated their ordeals. 

A child abuse victim said, how due to child marriage, they have been subjected to innumerable sufferings like physical and mental abuse, teenage pregnancy and death of newborn babies! To achieve the goals of 'Child Marriage Free India Campaign' that's running in nearly 300 districts, hopes that by 2030, child marriage could be greatly controlled. 'When Children Have Children' explains that the female children are most affected. Every year it is playing an important role in the efforts to save 15 lakh girls from getting trapped in the clutches of child marriage. It is through the 'Picket strategy' to engage the government, communities, NGOs and girls who are vulnerable to child marriage on policies, investment, engagement, knowledge-building and an ecosystem where child marriage can not flourish. 

There is a call to work together on the demand for preventive and surveillance technologies. Describing 'When Children Have Children' as a timely and important intervention in the fight against child marriage, Ravi Kant said, 'Both the civil society and the government are working with full dedication to achieve the goal of an India free of child marriage. Bhuvan Ribhu provides us with a necessary strategic plan and gives a concrete shape and direction to the huge but scattered efforts of the stakeholders. On this day, through 'Child Marriage Free Day', all the organizations will stop child marriage in thousands of villages of the country. Through awareness programmes against child marriage, street plays, pledges against child marriage, workshops, torch processions and many other activities, they are giving a message that child marriage should be eradicated at all costs. 16 October 2023, was the first anniversary of the 'Child Marriage Free India Campaign'. 

Since then, thousands of child marriages have been prevented through the efforts of community members, NGOs and government agencies. Child marriage figures in Jharkhand are well above the national average. National Family Health Survey-5 (2019- 2021), 23.3 percent of girls aged 20 to 24 years in the country were married before they turned 18, whereas in Jharkhand the average is 32.2 percent. This is a matter of serious concern. Urgent action is needed to prevent girls from becoming victims of child marriage. There is no retrospective view on this topic because the struggle is limitless. Child marriage not only causes physical torture to the children but they also suffer many health related problems and indelible emotional onslaught. Bhuvan Ribhu calls it 'The Crisis in Education'. 

This is a violation of human rights. Efforts should be made to include this campaign in the national planning with the cooperation of the Government of India. My appeal is to end child marriage to everyone! Bhuvan Ribhu acknowledged the contribution of Purujit Praraj, Dr: Laxmikant Dwivedi, Danish Raza, Vijay Singh, Advocate H.S. Phoolka. The safety, education, health, medical and social development of India's children is essential for 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat'. Children are the future of any country. The Ministry of Women and Child Development should include the suggestions, rules and programmes given by Bhuvan Ribhu in the national policies.

• Prof. Neelam Mahajan Singh •

(Senior journalist, political analyst, strategic international diplomacy expert, television personality, Solicitor for human rights protection and philanthropist)

 singhnofficial@gmail.com