NEW DELHI, Might 06 (IPS) – Bhuwan Ribhu didn’t plan to turn into a toddler rights activist. However when he noticed what number of youngsters in India had been being trafficked, abused, and compelled into marriage, he knew he couldn’t keep silent.
“It began with failure,” Ribhu says. “We tried to assist, however we weren’t stopping the issue. That’s after I realized—nobody group can do that alone. Calling the issue for what it really is—a legal justice difficulty quite than a social justice difficulty—I knew the answer wanted holistic scale.”
At the moment, Bhuwan Ribhu leads Simply Rights for Kids—one of many world’s largest networks devoted to defending youngsters. In recognition of his relentless efforts to fight baby marriage and trafficking, he has simply been awarded the distinguished Medal of Honor by the World Jurist Affiliation. The award was offered on the not too long ago concluded World Regulation Congress within the Dominican Republic.
However for Ribhu, the honour isn’t about recognition. “It is a reminder that the world is watching—and that youngsters are relying on us,” he tells IPS in his first interview after receiving the award.
Trying Again: One Assembly Modified Every thing
For Ribhu, a lawyer by career, it has been a protracted, arduous, and illustrious journey to getting justice for youngsters. However this lengthy journey started throughout a gathering of small nonprofits in jap India’s Jharkhand state, the place somebody spoke up: “Ladies from my village are being taken far-off, to Kashmir, and bought into marriage.”
That second hit Ribhu onerous.
“That’s when it struck me—one particular person or one group can’t remedy an issue that crosses state borders,” he says. He then began constructing a nationwide community.
And similar to that, the Youngster Marriage-Free India (CMFI) marketing campaign was born. Dozens of organizations joined, and the quantity grew steadily till it reached 262.
To date, greater than 260 million folks have joined within the marketing campaign, with the Indian authorities launching Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat—a nationwide mission in the direction of ending baby marriage in India.
Throughout villages, cities, and cities, persons are talking up for a kid marriage-free India.
“What used to really feel unattainable is now inside attain,” Ribhu says.
Taking the Struggle to Courtrooms
Ribhu is a skilled lawyer, and for him, the regulation is a strong weapon.
Since 2005, he’s fought—and received—dozens of vital instances in Indian courts. These have helped outline baby trafficking in Indian regulation; make it obligatory for police to behave when youngsters go lacking; criminalize baby labor; arrange help methods for abuse survivors; and take away dangerous baby sexual abuse content material from the web.
One massive success got here when the courts accepted that if a toddler is lacking, police ought to assume they could have been trafficked. This modified all the things. Reported lacking instances dropped from 117,480 to 67,638 a yr.
“That’s what justice in motion seems like,” mentioned Ribhu.
Taking Alongside Non secular Leaders
One of the highly effective strikes of CMFI was reaching out to non secular leaders.
The rationale was easy: regardless of the faith is, it’s the spiritual chief who conducts a wedding.
“If spiritual leaders refuse to marry youngsters, the apply will cease,” says Ribhu.
The motion started visiting hundreds of villages. They met Hindu clergymen, Muslim clerics, Christian pastors, and others. They requested them to take a easy pledge: “I can’t marry a toddler, and I’ll report baby marriage if I see it.”
The outcomes have been astonishing: on festivals like Akshaya Tritiya—thought-about auspicious for weddings—many baby marriages used to occur till not too long ago. However temples now refuse to carry out them.
“Religion generally is a massive drive for justice,” Ribhu says. “And non secular texts help training and safety for youngsters.”
Going World with a Common Objective
However the marketing campaign is not simply India’s story. In January of this yr, Nepal, impressed by the marketing campaign, launched its personal Youngster Marriage-Free Nepal initiative with the help of Prime Minister Ok. P. Sharma Oli. All of the seven provinces of the nation have joined it, vowing to take steps to cease baby marriage
The marketing campaign has additionally unfold to 39 different international locations, together with Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the place requires a worldwide baby safety authorized community are gaining momentum.
“The authorized methods of various international locations and areas could differ, however justice ought to be the identical in all places,” says Ribhu, who has additionally authored two books—Simply Rights and When Kids Have Kids—the place he has laid out a authorized, institutional, and ethical framework to finish baby exploitation referred to as PICKET. “It’s not nearly shouting for change. It’s about constructing methods that defend youngsters every single day,” Ribhu says.
Sacrifices and Hope
Ribhu gave up a promising profession in regulation apply. Many individuals didn’t perceive why.
“Individuals mentioned I used to be losing my time,” he remembers. “However someday my son mentioned, ‘Even in the event you save only one baby, it’s price it.’ That meant all the things to me.”
A believer within the concept of Gandhian trusteeship—the idea that we must always use our abilities and privileges to serve others, particularly those that need assistance essentially the most.
“I will not be the one to battle baby marriage in Iraq or Congo. However somebody will. And we’ll stand beside them.”
A Highly effective Award and a Greater Mission
The World Jurist Affiliation Medal isn’t only a trophy. For Ribhu, it’s a platform. “It tells the world: That is doable. Change is occurring. Let’s take part.”
He additionally hopes that the award will assist his staff join with new companions and broaden their work to new areas.
“In 2024 alone, over 2.6 lakhs Youngster Marriages had been prevented and stopped and over 56,000 youngsters had been rescued from trafficking and exploitation in India. These numbers present that change is not only a dream—it’s actual,” he says.
By 2030, Ribhu hopes to see the variety of baby marriages in India falling beneath 5 p.c.
However there’s extra to do. In some international locations, like Iraq, women can nonetheless be married as younger as 10, and in the USA, 35 states nonetheless permit baby marriage underneath sure situations.
“Justice can’t be occasional,” Ribhu says. “It should be part of the system in all places. We should be certain that justice isn’t only a phrase—it’s a lifestyle.”
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