The Priest That Stops Child Marriages
Justice for children does not enforce itself. It takes people. Mobilisers are the children, survivors, faith leaders, and grassroots organisations who demand that crimes against children are taken seriously and prosecuted.
This is the story of Pandit Buddhinath who stops and prevents child marriages.
Over 300,000 faith leaders around India have taken Just Rights for Children’s pledge to prevent and stop child marriage. Those faith leaders are working alongside local organisations to ensure that children are protected in places of worship.
In Deoghar, Jharkhand, one priest is demonstrating what that commitment means in his everyday life.
​
At the ancient Shiva Temple of Deoghar, Pandit (Hindu Priest) Buddhinath Jha does not only perform rituals and share religious teachings. He turns away child marriages at the temple’s door.
In the last 15 months alone, he has stopped nearly a dozen weddings where the bride or/ and groom were children. until the marriage was cancelled. She went back to school.
​
He works closely with JRC partner organisation, Chetna Vikas Deoghar, a group that utilises the PICKET framework to engage with faith leaders to prevent child marriages. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Posters in the temple premises make the position visible to all who enter: child marriage is not solemnised here.
Faith leaders are one of the most powerful stakeholders in the fight against child marriage. They are trusted by families, embedded in communities, and present at the very moment a marriage is solemnised. Chetna Vikas Deoghar brought Pandit Buddhinath into JRC’s mission. They equipped him with knowledge of child protection law, supported him in having difficult conversations with families, and connected him to a wider network of community actors. His efforts have recast the role of faith leaders, as catalysts who actively challenge crimes against children.
​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​Pandit Buddhinath sees this as an expression of his faith, rather than a departure from it. He explained:
"We never perform a wedding without verifying the age of the bride and groom with proper documents. Sometimes families refuse to share these and give only verbal assurance. In such cases, I explain the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and warn them that child marriage is a crime in our country."