Biography

Kriti Bharti is an Indian Child Activist. She is also a rehabilitation psychologist. In 2012, she helped to obtain the first child marriage annulment, while fighting in the court, to a child groom and bride from Rajasthan who got married at the age of 3 and 1, respectively. The court declared their marriage null and void after the verdict.Kriti Bharti was born in Rajasthan. She was in her mothers womb when her father left her mother. Society and the relatives advised Kritis mother to abort the child and wed again as it was not considered good to deliver a baby whose father had left her mother. However, Kritis mother denied all pieces of advice and gave birth to Kriti and raised her alone.Kriti was born in seven months as her mother suffered pregnancy complications. Kriti was abused physically and mentally by her relatives and family members when she was growing up as they considered her a curse. At the age of ten, she was slowly given poison by her relatives, but she managed to survive. However, this slow poison paralysed her. Soon, she was given various therapies like reiki healing that led to her recovery after two years of treatment.A non-profit organisation named Saarthi Trust was founded by Kriti Bharti in 2011 that keeps an eye on child marriages, and it attempts to stop these marriages on the spot. This organisation helps the children to get away from the forced child marriages and works for their welfare afterwards. Since 2011, approximately 41 child marriages were terminated by Bharti in court and 1400 child marriages were cancelled on the spot from happening.While interacting with Gulf News, Kriti Bharti explained her studies, With regular 15 to 16 hours study, I cleared my class X exams, followed by class XII and then did my graduation, post graduation and doctorate in psychology from Jai Narayan Vyas University in Jodhpur..Kriti Bharti started counselling patients as a psychiatrist soon after completing her PhD in psychology. She also started attending several NGOs. Her first patient was a nine-year-old girl who was a rape victim. Bharti in a conversation with Icy Tales media house recalled that moment, I felt it was pointless to provide momentary relief by counseling her for two hours. I wanted to provide permanent freedom and change her life. This incident took me to the justice system. So, from counseling, I made it to the justice system. Thus, I emphasize these two things: justice and rehabilitation..Kriti Bharti met and interacted with several victims of child labour, marriage and poverty while her working with the NGOs. After half a year while working with these non-profit organisations, she noticed that the main issue that these children becoming homeless was their marriage in childhood. She also observed that the traditions and customs of child marriages were only prevalent in rural Indian villages. These were still happening when child marriage is a crime and illegal in the Indian judiciary system.During her tenure at the NGOs, she analysed that the epicentre of these child marriages was Rajasthan and that was her hometown. She also went through a report of UNICEF that was published in 2009, and it stated that 40 per cent of the child marriages are done in India, and 56 per cent of the girls in India got married before the age of 18.In 2011, she started her own venture and a non-profit organisation named Saarthi Trust. She stated in a conversation with a media house the reason behind the establishment of her own NGO. She said that these NGOs were only focussing on spreading awareness about the harmful effects of child marriages and were not helping the children on the grass root levels. She expressed, I wanted to work at the grassroots level and help the victims come out of the condition, help them see a new life, and mark a new beginning. Thats when I founded Saarthi Trust. She stated that her approach was very simple while tackling the child marriage situation, To narrow it down, we prevent, annul, rehabilitate, and spread awareness. Dushman ko maarna hai tho, chaaron tharaf se gherna hota hai..To prevent child marriages on the stop from happening.