They choose to dream

In these dismal times when Haryana's Khap leaders emphasise that caste 'honour' is bigger than law of the land, and have justified the killing of couple Babli and Manoj, and when many more couples run away from their home village for marrying on their own defying the elders' diktat, there's some light yet in pockets where conservatism is the order of the day.

Rajasthan, one of India's most conservative states where child marriage is still the norm, a few young girls are trying to turn the table on this age old custom and unfair social practice. The number of them is not great but a beginning has been made and they can inspire other girls to follow their example.

In Rajasthan, the attitude towards daughters has always been one of indifference and neglect due to deep-rooted prejudices. Many upper-class families are reported to have been involved in infanticide and foeticide. In villages where veil still rules, girls get married even before they are teenagers. In such a background, girls like Laxmi, Jyoti, Shanno, Kiran and Champa have dared to dream and managed to delay their marriage.

Laxmi, 19, is from Jodinda Bhojpur village in Phagi, about 35 km from Jaipur. She is somewhat of an aberration from the rest of girls in her village as she remains unmarried even at this age. That she defied tradition, pursued her studies vigorously, topped her school and managed to convince her parents that letting her study would be a better option than getting her married at such an early age, still shock the villagers. Laxmi is not the only one. There are some others as well, though not many, who are attempting to delay their early marriage.

Text & Images: Trans World Features