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Indian Child Brides ‘Sold’ to Arab Men

  • Published on
    October 10, 2017
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    Anti-Slavery Activists, Child Slavery, Domestic Slavery, Forced Labor, Forced Marriage, Human Trafficking, Law & Policy, Prevention
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Haji Khan spent years scouring the streets of Hyderabad in search of young Indian girls to marry off to men visiting from Gulf States. EarningĀ 10,000 rupees ($150) for each girl, Khan made two types of deals:Ā ā€˜pucca,” or long-term marriages where the girl would fly back with her husband to his home country, and ā€˜time passā€™ marriages that only lasted while the man was visiting India. These ‘package deals’ offered child brides for a price of 30,000 rupees or more.

Khan, who has now become a police informant, told Thomson Reuters Foundation, “The men came with old, used bridal clothes, soaps and nightgowns for the girl they would marry. Most marriages were ā€˜time pass.'” The men would also signĀ post-dated divorce documents that would be delivered to the bride after her new husband had already left the country.

V. Satyanarayana, a deputy commissioner of police in Hyderabad, noted thatĀ ā€œMost of the girls do not know that they will be abandoned within 15 or 20 days of the marriage. The men would come on tourist visas, perform a contract marriage and leave after a month.” In the few cases where girls followed their husbands back to the Gulf they were often forced into domestic slavery or sexually exploited.

Qadir Ali, a fourth generation qazi, or Muslim officiant, in Hyderabad lamented:

ā€œThey are rich men from the Gulf and they know people are poor in Hyderabad, and girls available. Since they cannot touch a woman outside of marriage, they marry the girl and sign a blank paper for divorce at the time of marriage. They are spoiling the name of Islam for their desire.ā€

 

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