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A visionary reformer, a fearless revolutionary Guru, and the revered leader of the pioneering Kuka Movement, he was born in February 1816 into a humble Sikh carpenter family in a small village of Punjab, India. He rekindled the Khalsa spirit of Satguru Gobind Singh Ji, laying the foundation for what came to be known as the Namdhari or Kuka movement. While his contributions span multiple dimensions—spiritual, social, and political—one of his most groundbreaking reforms was his bold and unprecedented step against child marriage and establishing minimum age for marriage. Long before anyone else, he not only condemned this deep-rooted practice but also set the first-ever minimum marriage age, marking a historic step toward gender equality and social justice.
Satguru Ram Singh Ji, the revered founder of the Namdhari sect of Sikhs, emerged as a pioneering social reformer in 19th-century India. Among his numerous contributions, his efforts to prohibit child marriage were revolutionary and far ahead of their time. In June 1863, he introduced the Anand Karaj ceremony, a simplified, inexpensive Sikh marriage ritual, and simultaneously set the minimum marriage age at 16 for girls and 18 for boys—a move that directly challenged the entrenched and oppressive societal norms.
During this period, child marriage was widely prevalent in Indian society, often leading to grave health and social consequences for young girls. Satguru Ram Singh Ji’s bold reform not only opposed this exploitative practice but also took a stand against other regressive customs such as female infanticide and the commercialization of daughters. He issued a circular explicitly condemning these practices, stating: “Whoever makes money by the sale of his daughter is a devil. Whoever commits infanticide is equally so.” He further declared that such individuals would face excommunication from society.
The introduction of the Anand Karaj ceremony (the first of its kind in Sikhism) in the village of Khote (District Ferozepur, Punjab) in 1863 marked a historic departure from the elaborate and expensive Hindu marriage rituals, which were often performed by Brahmins. This progressive ceremony emphasized spiritual commitment over financial extravagance, making marriage more accessible and significantly reducing the economic burden on families.
Satguru Ram Singh Ji’s reforms were visionary, especially considering that many developed countries took decades or even centuries to legally establish minimum marriage ages. According to Pew Research, 117 out of 198 countries—including the USA—still allow child marriage.
Comparison with Developed Countries’ Child Marriage Laws:
- England: The legal minimum age for marriage was set at 16 in 1929. It was only in 2023 that the minimum age was raised to 18 without exceptions.
- United States: Efforts to establish a federal minimum age are ongoing but have not materialized yet. UNICEF USA, along with organizations like Unchained at Last, is working to end child marriage in the United States. The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 raised the minimum marriage age to 18, but only in a few states. As of 2024, 37 states still allow marriage under 18.
Unchained at Last’s research revealed that more than 300,000 children—some as young as 10—were married in the U.S. since 2000, mostly girls wed to adult men. Source: Unchained at Last
- France: The minimum legal age for marriage was raised to 18 in 2006.
- Germany: In 2017, Germany passed a law setting the minimum marriage age at 18, eliminating any previous exceptions.
- India: The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 initially set the minimum age at 14 for girls and 18 for boys. This was later amended in 1978 to 18 for girls and 21 for boys.
Satguru Ram Singh Ji’s advocacy for setting minimum marriage ages in 1863, predates these legal reforms by several decades, underscoring his role as a trailblazer in championing women’s rights and social justice. His initiatives paved the way for subsequent laws and policies aimed at protecting young individuals from the harmful effects of early marriage.
Satguru Ram Singh Ji’s reforms were not only ahead of their time but also instrumental in challenging centuries-old societal norms related to marriage. His legacy remains a beacon of inspiration for social reformers, policymakers, and activists striving for the protection of children’s rights across the globe.
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