Kriti Bharti is an Indian child rights activist and rehabilitation psychologist. In 2012, she helped a child bride and groom obtain an annulment for their first child and had their child marriage declared invalid in an Indian court. She founded the non-profit organization Saarthi Trust in 2011 and serves as a director of the venture. The organization rescues victims of child marriage and ensures the welfare of these children. Since the nonprofit was founded, Bhatti has challenged and annulled 41 child marriages in court and annulled 1,400 child marriages.
Wiki/Biography
Kriti Bharti was born on Wednesday, August 19, 1987 as Kriti Chopra (2021) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Her zodiac sign is Taurus. Bharti holds a PhD in Psychology from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur. In an interview with Gulf News, she talked about her educational background,
By studying regularly for 15 to 16 hours, I passed Class X and subsequently Class XII and then completed my Graduation, Postgraduate and PhD in Psychology from Jai Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur. “
appearance
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Her father’s name is unknown. Her mother’s name is Indu Chopra.
Kriti Bhatti and her mother
She is the only daughter of her parents.
Profession
non-governmental organization
While in college, Bhatti began participating in various non-governmental organizations and consulting as a psychiatrist. Her first patient was a nine-year-old girl, a victim of rape. She recalled the moment in an interview with Icy Tales,
I felt there was no point in temporarily relieving her pain with a two-hour consultation. I wanted to provide permanent freedom and change her life. This incident brought me to the justice system. So, through counseling, I entered the justice system. So I emphasize these two things: justice and healing. “
While working with nonprofits, Barty was able to interact with a variety of street children who were victims of child labor, marriage, and poverty. After working with the NGO for seven months, she discovered that a focal issue for homeless children was child marriage. She also noted that this child marriage ritual is prevalent in rural areas of India; however, it is illegal in the Indian judicial system. Rajasthan is considered an epicenter of child marriage and is also Bhatti’s home state. In 2009, UNICEF released a report stating that 40% of child marriages worldwide occurred in India, and 56% of Indian women in rural areas of India were married before the age of 18.
Salti Trust
Bharti worked with several NGOs before starting his own business, Saarthi Trust. She said in an interview that all these NGOs are just spreading awareness about child marriage and its adverse effects; but no one at the grassroots level is helping the child. she says,
I want to work at the grassroots level to help disaster victims get out of their predicament, see a new life, and usher in a new beginning. That’s when I started Saarthi Trust. “
She also added that her method is simple;
To narrow it down, we block, dismantle, restore and spread awareness. “Dushman ko maarna hai tho, chaaron tharaf se gherna hota hai.”
Core areas of work of Saarthi Trust:
- Stop child marriage on the spot
- Abolish child marriage if it has already occurred
- Some families refuse to accept children after marriages are annulled, rehabilitation services provided for victims
- Conduct orientation camps to educate villagers on the harmful consequences of child marriage
- Held a swearing-in ceremony with villagers, promising not to marry children
- Engage children and their families through local media such as newspapers, social media and radio
Dr. Kriti explains to the children
The main areas in India where Bhatti and her organization work to prevent child marriage include Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. In a conversation with media persons, Bhatti said that due to her campaign,
In these states, young girls have begun to speak out against this illegal practice. Earlier, the girls did not know how to get out of trouble, but now they themselves understand this exploitation. “
In 2012, Bhatti helped a woman named Laxmi Sargara to annul child marriage, setting the stage for Bhatti to continue her personal efforts to discuss the impact of child marriage in the states of Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir. The harmful impact on local villages and schools in Khand and Bihar has paved the way. She also specializes in teaching women’s empowerment. The Sarti Trust provides a helpline number for underage brides and grooms to report cases immediately over the phone to prevent child marriages. After filing a complaint with her organization, Bhatti personally met and spoke to the elders of the family to convince them to stop child marriage. Unable to convince the children’s families, Barty and her business sought legal remedies. Bhatti received multiple rape and death threats during her activist career. When she stopped a child marriage, Hindu leaders in Rajasthan threatened to cut off her nose and gang-rape her. She said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times,
Child marriage is like a disease: prevention is important, but when so many people are infected, you have to find a cure for them.”
Dr. Kriti and the rescued children
The CBSE school education board has also included prevention of child marriage in its curriculum as a chapter in social studies. On the Akha Teej festival in April 2020, Bharti prevented three child marriages, an incident that was recorded in the Limca Book of Records. She explained her vision for the future in a conversation with media company Icy Tales,
Another thing is to open rehabilitation centers for orphans and special children. All of this requires monetary support, and we have almost zero supporters. We have girls in grade 10 pursuing bachelor’s degrees in medicine, engineering and education. They have different fees but zero sponsors. Well, I’m a psychologist and I make money giving classes and use that money to provide resources. “
Facts/Trivia
- Bhatti’s father left her mother when she was still in her mother’s womb. Relatives and family members also suggested her mother to abort the baby and remarry as they believed it was a shame to give birth to a child for an abandoned mother. However, Bhatti’s mother avoided all accusations and suggestions, gave birth to the child and raised him alone.
- During her pregnancy, her mother faced many complications, which ultimately led to the baby being born seven months prematurely. Growing up, Barty was also physically and mentally abused by relatives. They think she is a curse. Even at the age of ten, Barty was slowly being poisoned by her relatives. However, she escaped death. The chronic poison left her paralyzed and bedridden. She later underwent various treatments and therapies, including Reiki, a Japanese touch therapy. Two years later, she finally recovered from her paralysis.
Kriti’s childhood photo with her mother
- After recovering from paralysis, Kriti Bharti changed her last name from Chopra to Bharti (Daughter of India). She did this to escape the caste system and religion in India. In an interview with Icy Tales, she said:
I don’t want to be labeled because of my caste. I am Bharat Ki Beti. “
- In an interview with Icy Tales, Kriti Bhatti explains why child marriage is still prevalent in India. she says:
In Rajasthan there is something called Jati Panchayat and in Haryana there is something called Khap Panchayat. They are not a legal entity. Sarpanch is the eldest member of the community and there are no minimum qualifications to serve as chief. Their age is their qualification. “
She further added,
This institution punishes those who disagree with child marriage and tells them that they are going against age-old traditions and society. They penalize families with huge sums of up to Rs 10 to 20 lakh without considering the income status of the family. In addition to this, they are completely isolated from society. “
- In 2021, Hershey’s (a chocolate manufacturing brand) launched a special edition chocolate to commemorate Kriti Bharti.
Hershey’s chocolate wrappers feature Kriti Bharti’s name and photo and the words “Har-She-Rises”
- Kriti Bharti is the recipient of several national and international honors including the Changemaker Award from Girls’ Night Bright, London International Award, Global Award, Marwar Ratna, Mewar Ratna, Yugantar Award.
Kriti Bharti wins Yugantar Award
- Kriti is a public speaker. She is regularly invited to various national and international public meetings to speak on the topic of ending child marriage and empowering women.
Kriti Bharti speaks on Women’s Equality Day June 2021
- Bharti’s fight against child marriage has also been shared in several Indian newspaper articles.
A newspaper article about Kriti Bharti and the girl who gained freedom after 18 years of fighting against child marriage
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education