Minor leads fight against child marriage

Thirteen-year-old Jeroni Tawo is a champion of change in Arunachal Pradesh. Though residing in remote East Kameng district, bordering China, her’s is  one of the most talked about names in state capital Itanagar as she is seen as a flag bearer of a new movement against child marriage which is still prevalent in remote areas of the frontier state.

It was in 2008 that Jeroni Tawo’s parents started to talk about her marriage. She was only five years old then.

Her marriage was fixed with 25-year-old Tania Pinche, an orphan raised by his uncle’s family. The marriage was solemnised in 2013.

In Arunachal tradition, the bridegroom’s family presents Mithun, a large semi-domesticated bovine to the bride’s family. These days, instead of Mithun, money is offered.

Jeroni’s family also got Rs 1,12,500 from Pinche’s family. But Jeroni could not take the stress of child marriage. She finally fled from her husband’s house on May 31.

Since she was studying, she became aware that child marriage is illegal and she herself was a victim.

“This summer, when her vacation began, she was taken to Pata Cheda village in Papu Valley in East Kameng district. Two weeks into the holidays, she escaped to freedom. She walked through thick forest to reach the deputy director’s office to tell her story,” said Pooja Sonam Natung, general secretary of East Kameng unit of Women’s Welfare Organisation (WWO), an NGO working for women and child development.

WWO had organised an awareness campaign on social evils, including child marriage. Jeroni was aware of the campaign and, thus, contacted WWO.

Now she wants to lead a state-wide campaign against child marriage and end such age-old tribal practices.

“I am not against customs and traditions. The world has changed and the girl child must get her rights. In our state there is lack of awareness on these issues in the remote areas. I want to bridge this gap,” Jeroni told DH over telephone.

Her break-up from her forced marriage in childhood was incidentally helped by her husband Pinche.

“The matter was brought to the attention of ICDS cell and together with the WWO and East Kameng Social Cultural Welfare Organisation, we began talks to arrange for her release from the marriage.

While Jeroni was a victim, Pinche could not be blamed either as he lacked awareness. When we sensitised and counselled him, he cooperated,” Natung added.

Both Jeroni and Pinche are from the most downtrodden and marginalised Puroiks community, among whom  literacy is virtually absent.