Summary:
Belonging to the backward Kol tribe of Koraon, Shubhawati was born into a family of bonded labourers. Allahabad: While sitting on the rickety chair in the legal aid centre in Koraon block, Sujata (girl changed) pours her heart out while telling the legal counsellor how she does not want to get married at 16 and wants to continue with her studies. I also told her that if someone forces her to get married she should come to me,” said Shubhawati. Little did Sujata realise that the 26-year-old legal counsellor or ‘Shubha didi’ as she is fondly known was herself in a similar predicament years ago, but she managed to break the shackles of bonded labour to not only study law but also educate many other tribal women about their rights. The counsellor, Shubhawati, listens to her patiently and it takes just a few minutes before Sujata walks out of the centre with a way out of the problem.“I just told her that legally she can’t be married off before she turns 18 so she should go back and relax..