NHRC, India takes a serious view of ‘Nata Pratha’ under which the girls in some communities are sold in the name of marriage in parts of Rajasthan and the adjoining areas in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat

Press release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi, 6th June, 2024

NHRC calls for action taken report from the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development, and the States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat within eight weeks

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken a serious view of social evil in the form of ‘Nata Pratha’ under which the girls in some communities are sold either on a stamp paper or otherwise in the name of marriage having no legal sanctity in parts of Rajasthan and the adjoining areas in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Given the unethical and immoral consequences of the ‘Nata Pratha’ on the women and minor girls, the Commission has called for its eradication and abolition and issued notices accordingly to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and the States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. They have been directed to submit a report on the measures taken or proposed to be taken in this regard within eight weeks.

The Commission’s directions have come following its intervention in a complaint dated 15th July, 2020 from the father of a minor girl who he claimed was allegedly kidnapped in Rajasthan’s Salamgarh, District Pratapgrah and her body was found in Danpur, District Banswada in the State. The Commission through its Investigation Division conducted a spot enquiry in the matter. It was found that the father of the girl himself had sold her for marriage to a man for Rs 2.5 lakh under a purchase deal signed by their families under ‘Nata Pratha’ in the presence of the villagers on 11th July, 2019. The groom paid Rs 60,000 and the remaining amount was to be paid by 10th January, 2020.

However, when he failed to pay the remaining amount within the stipulated time, the father brought his daughter back and fixed her ‘Nata’ with another man for Rs 32,000. The girl objected to this and went to live with her earlier husband at Gagarwa. She also made a complaint with the SP, Banswada against her father alleging that he was an alcoholic and had made several attempts to fix her ‘Nata’ against her will with many boys to earn money and that he had also threatened to kill her. The police failed to take any action on her complaint, and she committed suicide on 16th June, 2020 by consuming poison.

The NHRC enquiry revealed that the father had filed the complaint in the Commission alleging the kidnapping and murder of his daughter to save himself from any action on the police complaint filed by her against him. The Investigation Division suggested legal action against the father of the girl for selling her minor daughter and action against the police personnel of Danpur for their inaction on the girl’s complaint. The NHRC spot enquiry team also suggested that the State Government should enact a law to stop the social evil of ‘Nata Pratha’.

Thereafter on 23rd January, 2020, the Commission deputed its Special Rapporteur to make an exhaustive enquiry into the matter of selling girls in Rajasthan. He also suggested the urgent need to address this social evil by multifaceted strategy as it violated basic human rights. The Commission referred the matter to the Research Division also to suggest the measures in this regard.

The Research wing observed that the ‘Nata Pratha’ is comparable to modern forms of prostitution. Among various measures, it suggested that besides enacting a law, the individuals involved in forcing women to go for ‘Nata Pratha’ must be prosecuted under laws relating to human trafficking and for selling the minor girls under the relevant provision of the POCSO Act to check this menace. It also suggested setting up a board or a group at the village level to register the cases of ‘Nata Pratha’ in addition to building awareness and providing education and employment to improve the economic and social status of girls and women.

The Commission shared these inputs with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on 18th March, 2024 which also opined that the ‘Nata Pratha’ seems derogatory to women and needs to be abolished

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