Reporter: ROGERSTAN IS
THE EPICENTER OF INDIA'S
CHILD MARRIAGE.
MORE THAN HALF OF THE GIRLS
BORN IN THIS STATE BECOME
CHILD BRIDES BEFORE THE AGE
OF 15.
THE LIFE OF A CHILD BRIDE
IS VERY SAD.
Reporter: PREMDABI IS
STUDYING ITS IMPACT ON
INDIAN SOCIETY.
THE MOMENT SHE GETS
MARRIED FROM A PHYSICAL
MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL
PERSPECTIVE, HER LIFE
BECOMES VERY CHALLENGING.
Reporter: MOST OF
INDIA'S POOR LIVES ON $1 A
DAY, SO MARRYING OFF A
DAUGHTER MEANS ONE LESS
MOUTH TO FEED.
GIRLS ARE SEEN AS A
LIBILIT -- LIABILITY AND
BURDEN.
THE LONGER THEY WAIT TO GET
THE GIRL MARRIED OFF, THE
MORE THEY'LL HAVE TO PAY THE
FUTURE IN-LAWS.
Reporter: APRIL AND MAY
ARE POPULAR MONTHS FOR
MARRIAGES IN ROGERSTAN.
AND THEY WILL HOLD THOUSANDS
OF CEREMONIES.
THE MAJORITIES BETWEEN
MINOR.
YOU WILL SEE PARENTS
HOLDING THEIR CHILDREN, AS
YOUNG AS FOUR OR FIVE YEARS
OLD, IN THEIR MAP AS THEY
GET MARRIED.
Reporter: INDIA HAD
LAWS AGAINST CHILD MARRIAGE
IN 1929, AND BACK THEN THE
LEGAL AGE FOR MARRIAGE WAS
SET AT 12.
IT WAS EVENTUALLY INCREASED
TO 18 YEARS OLD IN 1978.
TO EVADE THE LAW, FAMILIES
WILL OFTEN PERFORM MARRIAGES
IN SECRET, USUALLY LATE AT
NIGHT.
IT'S SHORTLY AFTER 9:00 IN
THE EVENING, VERY, VERY BUSY
STREETS, AS YOU CAN SEE.
BUT WHERE WE'RE GOING IS
INTO THE INTERIOR VILLAGES
OF THIS PART OF ROGERSTAN.
OUTSIDERS ARE RARELY ALLOWED
TO ATTEND THESE CEREMONIES,
LET ALONE FILM THEM.
HER PARENTS MADE AN
EXCEPTION, GIVING US
PERMISSION TO FILM THEIR
SON, BUT ONLY THE NIGHT
BEFORE HIS WEDDING.
I AM BECOMING A MAN
TOMORROW.
Reporter: HIS PARENTS
INSIST THAT HE IS 21, BUT
HIS FRIENDS TOLD US
OFF-CAMERA, HE IS ONLY 10.
HIS YOUNG FACE COVERED IN
TRADITIONAL MAKEUP.
HE WEARS A SPECIAL SUIT WITH
FLASHING COLORED LIGHTS.
I WANT THE YOUNGSTERS IN
MY VILLAGE TO FOLLOW MY
EXAMPLE.
Reporter: THE WHOLE
VILLAGE SPENDS THE NIGHT
BEFORE THE WEDDING, DRINKING
AND DANCING.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
ALCOHOL, THESE DANCE
FESTIVALS BECOME SEXUALLY
CHARGED, AND OFTEN YOU SEE
YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS
FOLLOWING.
Reporter: OUR TEAM IS
NOT ALLOWED TO FILM BATEL'S
BRIDE, WHO IS SAID TO BE
EIGHT OR NINE YEARS OLD.
FAMILIES KNOW WHAT
THEY'RE DOING IS NOT RIGHT,
BUT BECAUSE OF CULTURAL AND
ECONOMIC REASONS, THE
PARENTS WILL MARRY THEIR
CHILDREN OFF AT A YOUNG
AGE.
Reporter: CBN NEWS IS
ALLOWED, HOWEVER, TO FILM
VENA'S WEDDING.
HERS IS DIFFERENT.
IT TAKES PLACE DURING THE
DAY, WHICH IS VERY
UNCOMMON.
WE HAVE BEEN PREPARING
FOR THIS WEDDING FOR NEARLY
A YEAR.
I HAVE INVITED THE ENTIRE
VILLAGE TO COME FOR THIS
HAPPY OCCASION.
Reporter: BUT VENA IS
ANYTHING BUT HAPPY.
IN BETWEEN COMBING HER HAIR
AND PUTTING ON JEWELRY, SHE
SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY.
THE FAMILY TRIES TO CONSOLE
HER.
WE TRY TO ASK HER WHY SHE IS
CRYING.
WHY IS SHE SAD?
[SPEAKING A
FOREIGN LANGUAGE]
Reporter: SHE REFUSES
TO TALK.
SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE A WIFE, HOW TO
TAKE CARE OF HER FAMILY.
BUT BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN
FORCED UPON HER, SHE HAS TO
GO ALONG WITH IT.
I THINK SHE IS A LITTLE
SCARED.
Reporter: VENA'S FAMILY
INSISTED SHE IS 18, BUT SHE
LOOKS SEVEN OR EIGHT.
I ALSO GOT MARRIED WHEN I
WAS VERY YOUNG.
SHE WILL ADJUST.
Reporter: INDIA IS ONLY
ONE OF MANY COUNTRIES WHERE
CHILD MARRIAGE IS THRIVING.
EACH YEAR SOME 10 MILLION
GIRLS ARE MARRIED BEFORE
THEY TURN 18.
THE PRACTICE IS MOST COMMON
IN AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST,
AND SOUTH ASIA.
THE GIRL IS MARRIED AND
THEN MOVERS IN WITH HER
HUSBAND'S FAMILY.
SHE IS NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO
SCHOOL TO GET AN EDUCATION.
AS SOON AS SHE REACHES
PUBERTY, SHE IS EXPECTED TO
HAVE CHILDREN.
Reporter: AND THE
RIPPLE EFFECTS ARE
DEVASTATING.
REACH SHOWS THAT GIRL BRIDES
ARE MORE LIKELY TO LOSE
THEIR CHILD BEFORE IT IS
BORN, BE INFECTED WITH
H.I.V., HAVE THREE OR MORE
BIRTHS, AND UNDERGO MULTIPLE
ABORTIONS.
BACK IN THE VILLAGE, VENA'S
SOON TO BE HUSBAND ARRIVES
IN A BUS WITH HIS SIDE OF
THE FAMILY.
WEARING A SPECIAL CROWN WITH
FLASHING LIGHTS, HE JOINS A
RECESSION OF VILLAGERS
MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE
BRIDE'S HOME.
HIS FACE IS PARTIALLY
COLORED BY A MASK HE WILL
WEAR UNTIL THE CEREMONY IS
OVER.
HE, TOO, LOOKS VERY YOUNG,
BUT HIS FAMILY INSISTS HE IS
ABOUT THE LEGAL AGE OF
MARRIAGE.
I AM READY TO BE A
HUSBAND.
Reporter: VENA IS
FINALLY READY TO MAKE HER
APPEARANCE, BUT INSTEAD OF
OF WALKING DOWN THE FAMILY
COURTYARD WHERE GETS ARE
AWAITING, SHE HAS TO BE
CARRIED IN BY HER FATHER.
SHE IS OVERCOME WITH
EXHAUTION.
SHE SOBS THROUGH THE
TWO-HOUR CEREMONY.
IT IS HEARTBREAKING TO
WATCH.
THESE ARE CHILDREN, LITTLE
CHILDREN, GETTING MARRIED.
Reporter: GEORGE
THOMAS, CBN NEWS, ROGERSTAN,
INDIA.
