Do expect yourself to be married at the age of 7 or 8? YIKES!
At the age of 8, Pannilal Yadav was married to a 7 year-old bride. He had no clue about what was happening around and has a very faint memory of the event. The only thing he remember’s about his wedding is:
“I remember holding my bride’s head and putting vermilion powder over it.”
In Pannilal’s village all the young boys are married in the early age because of various reasons. They boys are married due to community pressure, to have a new income-earner in a poor family, control of sexuality, and the fear of all good wives to be taken. Pannilal works for CARE to stop child marriages.
25-year-old Pannilal is a husband, father and an activist.When he grew up, he realized that he missed out on so many opportunities to make it big. Getting married closed all the doors for him.
“But living in a male dominated society, most of them, as they grow up, are taught to be strong and not show their feelings. It has adverse effect on them because men are expected to assume the role of taking care of the family.” –Meena Thapa, head of Sidhdhartha Samudayik Samaj
Pannilal wants to change and give a meaning to the lives of thousands of young boys and girls. His wife also supports him in his inspirational endeavour. She thinks if she had met him later in life, should would have been able to understand the meaning of marriage and being a wife.
Pannilal shares his experience as a child groom and his new direction and dream in life in this video by CARE.
