Honored by UN, meet Rajasthan’s anti-child marriage warrior Dr Kriti Bharti

On the momentous occasion of India’s 74th Republic Day, Rajasthan’s renowned children’s rights activist Dr Kriti Bharti spoke to Republic TV and shed light on her journey, challenges, and aspirations for a world free of abuse against children. Bharti, who is an anti-child marriage warrior, did not shy away from sharing her turbulent childhood, a key reason that ignited her spirit to advocate for children's rights.

Abandoned by her biological father at birth, Dr Bharti’s mere existence in the world was a challenge. From physical abuse to being shunned by people around her, she went through it all in her younger years. Today, she possesses a long list of national and global honours for her social service.  

At the age of ten, she was poisoned, which left her bedridden and codependent on others for help. She credited her recuperation to reiki, an ancient Japanese medicine that focuses on energy healing. However, reaching the age of 12 was a turning point in her life, with her first step being the decision to change her last name to something that would represent her as the daughter of India, thus the name - ‘Bharti.’

A peek into the life of Dr Bharti

The hiatus in her education caused by her medical condition did not stop her from resuming her studies. She went on to take a big leap from 4th to10th grade, and persevered, which fetched her seven degrees. Despite her prestigious Ph.D. degree, she values her 10th-grade degree the most. 

During the conversation with Republic TV, Dr Bharti shattered the popular notion that Rajasthan is infamous for its child marriages, noting that the state has also witnessed the highest number of cancellation of child marriages, which is a step in the right direction.

After pursuing her education, she went on to join NGOs, and quickly realised that the purpose of her life was to change the lives of children who underwent similar circumstances as her. She established her trust in 2012 and terminated 47 child marriages while annulling 1,600 others.