As comments point out, these are "cultural idiosyncrasies" that have proven to be "difficult challenges to overcome, especially in a country as populous as India." Also noted , "one personal interest piece" is not "representative of the beliefs of over 1.2 billion people." My curiosity, not mentioned specifically, lay in what role does an antiquated religious beliefs system play in this "deeply rooted" custom.
The family of a 19-year-old Indian girl has been ostracized and fined 1.6 million rupees ($25,000) by a village council after she rejected a marriage arranged when she was a baby, the girl and her parents said on Wednesday.An Indian child bride is facing a $25,000 fine for rejecting her arranged marriage - Business Insider
Santadevi Meghwal, from the western desert state of Rajasthan, said she was married off at 11 months old to a nine-year-old boy in her village, 60 km (37 miles) south of Jodhpur.
Meghwal became aware of her marriage at the age 16 and, with the support of her parents, refused to go and live with her husband and in-laws as they demanded.
"I was 11 months old when I was married off. It was only when I grew up that I realized what had happened,"
Meghwal told the CNN-IBN television station on Wednesday. "I want to study and become a teacher. I don't want to go there," she added.
Meghwal's family said her husband's family refused to annul the marriage and took the matter to the council in Rohichan Khurd village, which imposed the fine and banished the family from the community.
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Child marriage is illegal in India, but it is deeply rooted in Indian society and remains widespread in parts of the country. About 47% of women aged between 20 and 24 were married before the age of 18, according to government figures.
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