Sonamoni has now turned 19 and completed her Intermediate from a Government college at Jamshedpur but not before taking on her own society, pressure of cultural bondages and of course the unrelenting family. The tribal girl, belonging to the Ho community, recalls her early teens when in 2009 she was to marry her-would-be groom at the age of just 15.
“Suddenly, I came to know that my family has fixed my marriage with someone and it was just a matter of time when I would have to leave my studies in the middle and go to manage chulha-chauki. It came as a nightmare for me,” says Sonamoni. The decision was simply not acceptable for her but slamming door on her family members and society was not equally easy.
The fatherless child felt helpless under the pressure and threat from the society elders forcing her to marry with the groom. later her domestic help mother, jobless brother and uncle also had to denounce the desperate plea of Sonamoni that otherwise is not a usual practice in the tribal community, considered relatively lenient towards female rights. But as she and her family from Dlahbhumgrah area of East Singhbhum was a settler at Roopnagar urban slum of Jamshedpur, her meek voice made to chock. She was locked inside and denied any access to the outsiders.
There was no way she could fight with her mother to defer the impending ordeal and keep on studying till she was finished with her schools. “Knowing fully that my resistance would produce nothing and can even endanger my already poor family’s survival in the society if I persist, I decided to give a last shot to an idea,” she told The Pioneer over phone from Jamshedpur. The Class IX student then managed to get the phone number of her would-be-groom Sanjay Soren while keeping everyone in dark.
“One of his relative was known to us. I asked her that can you give me his number for conversations. My gesture was so that I want his number for a fun and fascination before marriage. When I got the number I called him up and requested to withdraw the marriage proposal. I told him that I am still very young and I have to complete my studies first,” says Sonamoni.
Sonamoni at the same time also requested Sanjay, a resident of Nadiya, to not to disclose her conversations and request made to him with anyone and just consider her plea keeping in mind the plight coming with child marriage - the practice very common in Jharkhand and also in other parts of the country for socially and economically backward communities like hers. Denied education, the girl children get exposed to other risks like child labour, trafficking and sexual abuse. “He agreed and made his family members also ready for withdrawing from marriage proposal citing some other reason. In a sense he played like a real saviour for me and his contribution is immense,” said she with chuckling voices.
With ‘say no to child marriage’ a moto, Sonamoni is now an active member of Bal Sangathan run by a grass roots level NGO ‘Adarsh Seva Sansthan’ supported by CRY -- Child Rights and You. “She also organises street plays to generate awareness among people against child marriage in the area as she has become a role model for many since her show of courage. She is very confident now,” said Usha Mahato, project coordinator of ‘Adarsh Seva Sangsthan’.
Now with a free flight, Sonamoni says she would think about marriage only after making a mark for herself and wants to run a campaign in the area against the social menace that is ruining many innocent lives before that takeoff. Though after passing her Intermediate she is finding it hard to manage for her graduation fee but the brave step taken at her tender age has now made Sonamoni a girl with steely will -- much like Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan. After all both choose not to budge but be bold.