Rebel bride turns role model

March 20, 2012: A bride, who returned to her marital home for lack of a toilet facility in the groom’s house, in India, was on Monday awarded Indian rupees 500,000, equivalent to US$ 10,000, for her “bold decision”.

Rural development minister of India Jairam Ramesh presented the award to Anita Bai Narre of Chichouli village in India’s Madhya Pradesh’s state, at a function in Delhi.

The award was sponsored by Sulabh International, a non-governmental organization for environmental sanitation. Lauding Narre for her "revolutionary and bold act", Ramesh said she will be a source of inspiration for every woman.

Calling for a social movement to stop the practice of open defecation, Ramesh said sincere efforts are being made to make every gram panchayat open-defecation free by 2022.

Founder of Sulabh Sanitation Movement, Bideshwar Pathak said Narre's story is changing mindsets and "our sanitation drive is back on track." Pathak appreciated the 20-year-old’s “revolutionary action” and made her the NGO’s brand ambassador.

It all began on May 13, last year when Narre got married to a laborer Shivram Narre, 22 in the tribal-dominated village in Betul district. But after staying a night at her in-laws house, she returned home. Born to a school teacher and the eldest among six sisters and a brother, Narre refused to go into the open to answer nature’s call.

“I bluntly told him to construct a proper toilet, if he wanted me to join him”, Narre had told ucanews.com in Madhya Pardesh last month. Shivram Narre then approached the local panchayat (self-governing body) which provided him materials and workers needed to construct the toilet. Narre, who is doing her graduation, told reporters that she had not thought of how to spend the prize money.