Childhoods Chained, Dreams Sold In Forgotten Corner of Madhya Pradesh

In the heart of Madhya Pradesh, nestled amid the rugged terrains of Rajgarh district, lies Jaitpura - a village where time seems to have stopped, leaving dreams in shackles and childhoods stolen. Here, innocence is traded, and the cruel weight of tradition drags children into adulthood long before their time.

Our journey began where the road ended, over narrow, broken paths that echoed the hardship of lives untouched by development.

In these forgotten corners of India, we found children whose laughter has been silenced by customs like child marriage and engagement, bound by the age-old practice of Jhagda-Natra. 

This grim tradition demands exorbitant amounts from families seeking to break free from pre-arranged marriages, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and despair.

The stories of Jaitpura are a reflection of a broader malaise plaguing 50 villages, where over 700 children have lost their right to a carefree childhood. 

Rama Bai, now 40, recalls how her childhood ended abruptly three decades ago.

"I got married at the age of 10 years... Every day, girls here are married off. This must stop," she said, her voice heavy with the weight of her past. 

Geeta, just 22, carries her young daughter in her arms. Engaged at two, married at 16, she refuses to let history repeat itself. "I will not engage my daughter. This must end with me," she asserts, her resolve a tiny ray of light amid the darkness that lies heavy over the lives of the children.

One parent explained the harsh reality: "Here relationships are often fixed even before birth. When a woman is six months pregnant, families decide-'if you have a boy and we have a girl, they will be engaged.' They stick to their word. As children grow, more money is required, and sometimes, in a drunken state, engagements are finalised. This happened in our family too," she said, a tone of resignation in her voice.

Childhood Dreams in Chains

These decisions impact children profoundly, robbing them of their innocence and dreams. Some are as young as one year old when they are engaged, marked with bracelets or lockets to signify the commitment.

Dinesh, a young boy, shared a bittersweet moment about his fiancee: "My fiancee is frim Gangapar. She was given a bracelet and a pendent during the engagement."

Another child, Mangilal's fiancée, said: "I was just a year old when I got engaged. I don't remember much, but I know his name is Mangilal. I didn't receive anything during the engagement."

For many, these symbols of commitment are not cherished but burdensome. 

A boy, just 10 years old, was vocal about his discomfort. "I was given sweets when I got engaged, but I didn't want to. I've decided-I won't marry. I'm in the 5th standard, and I want to become a doctor," he said.

For the young girls, anklets and bangles are not adornments but symbols of oppression. The pain, both physical and emotional, weighs heavily on them.

"My feet hurt a lot because of the anklets. I tell my parents every day, but they say I must wear them. This is bondage. I want freedom from these," a girl said.

For most, these ornaments represent a lifelong burden. 

A 10-year-old, married when she was far younger, said: "The bangles were put on me during my engagement and marriage. They're said to enhance a girl's beauty, but to me, they are shackles. Sometimes, when there is trouble at my in-laws' house, these bangles are removed and sold."

Villagers justify the system as a compulsion - a way to escape debt, or wedding expenses. But it is the children who pay the price, their lives reduced to mere transactions.

Govardhan Tanwar, the deputy sarpanch, sounded matter of fact. "Engagements happen when parents are drunk. They take loans, marry off their daughters, and the cycle continues."

According to the National Family Health Survey-5, 46 per cent of women aged 20-24 in Rajgarh were married before they turned 18. Education remains a distant dream, with over half the women in the district illiterate.

Breaking these shackles comes at a cost. Families must pay hefty fines to annul pre-arranged marriages, often appearing before social panchayats. 

The price of freedom is crushing, leaving many resigned to their fates. In certain regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, if a girl dares to break free from this bondage or refuses to go through with a prearranged marriage, she and her family are summoned before social councils. These councils impose fines, known as 'jhagda' (penalty), for canceling the marriage. In some cases, practices like nata or natara, involving widows or abandoned women returning to society, are also intertwined with these traditions. 

Amid these statistics and age-old customs, this story is not just about Jaitpura village-it is a reflection of countless tales of pain and struggle. It is the story of countless villages where tradition chains childhood, and dreams are sold.
 

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Scarlett Johansson Shocked As Husband Colin Jost Jokes About Her On SNL

Scarlett Johansson was left shocked as she made a surprise appearance on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL) with her husband, Colin Jost, making numerous jokes about the Hollywood star's age, their child and their sex life. During the "Weekend Update" of SNL's Christmas edition, anchors, Mr Jost and Michael Che were doing their annual "joke exchange" where they both write jokes for each other. The prompts are designed to land either of them in hot water and this year, Mr Jost received the short end of the stick.

“I want to dedicate this next joke to my boo, Scarlett Johansson,” said Mr Jost, reading the joke from the teleprompter as the Avengers star looked on nervously from the backstage.

“Oh my gosh, she's so genuinely worried,” said Mr Jost, briefly breaking his on-screen character.

“Y'all know Scarlett just celebrated her 40th birthday, which means I'm about to get up out of there,” he added, with the camera quickly panning away to Ms Johansson, who was both simultaneously laughing and gobsmacked.

“Shiz! Nah, nah. I'm just playin',” he added.

“We just had a kid together, and y'all ain't see no pictures of him yet, because he's Black as hell!” said Mr Jost as a photoshopped image of himself and Ms Johansson was displayed on the screen.

Just when Mr Jost thought the segment had ended, another joke popped up which he reluctantly began to read.

“Costco has removed their roast beef sandwich from its menu, but I ain't tripping. I be eating roast beef every night since my wife had the kid,” said Jost causing an eruption of laughter from the entire cast and crew.

Ms Johansson looked shocked, mouthing, “Oh my gosh".

Colin Jost and Michael Che just did their annual SNL joke-swap where they write each other's jokes

this joke about Scarlett Johansson...and then the camera cutting to her for her shocked reaction...omg pic.twitter.com/q7CKknJB1q

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) December 22, 2024

2024 Christmas Joke Swap with Colin and Che! pic.twitter.com/0uExTX8MHL

— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) December 22, 2024

Internet reacts

The jokes left the audience as well as social media users in split who said Mr Che had landed his colleague in trouble with the brutal jokes.

"Scarlett is either a fantastic actress or was truly genuinely shocked," said one user, while another added: "Haven't laughed like this watching Saturday Night Live in a while. Che definitely got Colin this year. Lol."

A third commented: "The Weekend Update joke swap has become the best part of the show and tonight did not disappoint."

Notably, this is not the first instance when Mr Jost has been forced to make such jokes about her wife. In July, earlier this year, during another joke swap segment, Mr Che made his colleague say:

“ChatGPT has released a new voice assistant feature inspired by Scarlett Johansson's AI character in Her,” a nervous Mr Jost told viewers. “Which I've never bothered to watch, because without that body what's the point of listening?”

While the jokes are made at the expense of both anchors, the segment is often the most-watched part of SNL.

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140 Trillion Oceans Of Water Discovered In Deep Space

A colossal water reservoir has been discovered by astronomers in a remote corner of the universe, orbiting a quasar over 12 billion light-years away. This staggering distance means the light we observe today embarked on its journey shortly after the universe's birth. 

The magnitude of this distant water supply is immense, containing an estimated 140 trillion times the volume of all Earth's oceans combined. This vast reservoir resides near a supermassive black hole, approximately 20 billion times more massive than our sun. 

Enveloping this black hole is a quasar named APM 08279+5255, emitting energy equivalent to a thousand trillion suns. According to astronomers, this quasar harbours the most distant and substantial water reservoir ever identified within the universe.

Quasar APM 08279+5255 and its water

Matt Bradford, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, leads one of the teams studying the observations.

"The environment around this quasar is unique because it's producing a vast amount of water," Bradford explained. "It's another indication that water is widespread throughout the universe, even in its earliest stages."

Bradford's team, along with a separate group of astronomers, investigated APM 08279+5255 and its central black hole, which pulls in surrounding matter.

As the black hole draws in material, it heats the surrounding gas and dust, creating a region filled with molecules never before detected at such an extreme distance.

Quasars were first discovered over 50 years ago when telescopes revealed mysterious sources of intense brightness in distant parts of space.

These objects are not ordinary stars. They shine brightly from the centres of distant galaxies, outshining all the stars within those galaxies.

At their core lie supermassive black holes, millions or even billions of times the mass of our sun. As gas and dust spiral toward these black holes, the material heats up and releases energy.

This energy radiates across all wavelengths, making quasars some of the brightest and most energetic phenomena ever observed.

Studying quasars allows astronomers to learn about the early universe, as the light we observe today has travelled billions of years to reach us.

Quasars provide insights into the formation of galaxies, the distribution of matter, and the development of the earliest cosmic structures.

They can even map the distribution of matter between galaxies, revealing regions that would otherwise remain hidden.

Some quasars also emit massive jets of high-speed particles that extend across vast distances. These jets can influence star formation, affecting entire regions of cosmic material.

A Surprising Discovery of Water

Astronomers discovered water vapour in the environment surrounding this particular quasar. The vapour spans a region hundreds of light-years across, with one light-year equaling roughly six trillion miles.

Although the gas is thin by Earth standards, it is unusually warm and dense compared to similar regions in our Milky Way.

With temperatures around minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit, the gas is about 300 trillion times less dense than Earth's atmosphere. Despite this, it is five times hotter and up to hundreds of times denser than gas found in typical galaxies. These exceptional conditions make this region a unique find.

Why Does This Matter?

Water vapour is more than just a molecule; its presence indicates that the quasar is emitting radiation that keeps the surrounding gas relatively warm.

Astronomers also detected other molecules, such as carbon monoxide, suggesting an abundance of material that could feed the black hole as it continues to grow.

They estimate that there is enough gas for the black hole to increase its mass by roughly six times, though the outcome remains uncertain.

Some of this gas could form new stars, while other portions may be expelled into space. Regardless, these observations provide a glimpse into the conditions of the early universe.

Quasars, Water, and the Building Blocks of Life

The detection of water vapour in such a distant quasar expands our understanding of how life's essential building blocks appear over vast expanses of time and space.

Water is vital for life as we know it, and its presence billions of years ago suggests that the elements necessary for life have been available for a long time.

Moreover, water plays a crucial role in shaping the evolution of stars and galaxies. When gas clouds cool, water facilitates their collapse, promoting the birth of stars.

Finding water this far back provides astronomers with new insights into how galaxies evolved as the universe matured.

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Jeff Bezos Denies Report Of $600 Million Lavish Wedding: "Completely False"

Jeff Bezos has categorically denied media reports that his upcoming wedding to fiancee Lauren Sanchez will cost a staggering $600 million. Taking to X, the billionaire founder of Amazon set the record straight, dismissing the rumours as "completely false". The report, picked up by several outlets across the world, alleged that the couple is set to exchange vows on December 28 and spend over half a billion dollars on the extravagant event.

Mr Bezos' reaction was sparked by a post from billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who expressed scepticism about the reported $600 million wedding. "This is not credible. Unless you are buying each of your guests a house, you can't spend this much money," he wrote on X. 

Reacting to Mr Ackman's tweet, the Amazon founder wrote, "Furthermore, this whole thing is completely false — none of this is happening. The adage "don't believe everything you read” is even more true today than it ever has been. Now lies can get around the world before the truth can get its pants on. So be careful out there folks and don't be gullible. Will be interesting to see if all the outlets that "covered" and re-reported on this issue a correction when it comes and goes and doesn't happen."

See the tweet here:

Furthermore, this whole thing is completely false — none of this is happening. The old adage “don't believe everything you read” is even more true today than it ever has been. Now lies can get ALL the way around the world before the truth can get its pants on. So be careful out… https://t.co/wz2SWp6wBZ

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) December 22, 2024

His fiancee, Lauren Sanchez, also weighed in on the matter, sharing Mr Bezos' post on her Instagram stories and adding a clear rebuttal: "Not true".

Initial reports from the Daily Mail and the New York Post alleged that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were planning an extravagant winter wonderland-themed wedding in Aspen, Colorado. According to the reports, the couple had booked Matsuhisa, an upscale sushi restaurant, as the exclusive venue for their celebration. The reports claimed that the luxury restaurant would be reserved from December 26 to 27, hosting around 180 guests including big names like Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Queen Rania of Jordan. 

Notably, Ms Sanchez started dating the Amazon boss in 2018. The couple went public with their relationship on July 14, 2019, after Mr Bezos' divorce from his first wife MacKenzie Scott was finalised. 

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4,000-Year-Old Massacre In England: 37 Victims Were Slaughtered And Eaten

A 4,000-year-old massacre in southwestern England was linked to possible acts of cannibalism, new research has revealed. The remains of at least 37 individuals -- men, women and children -- were found in a 50-foot-deep shaft at Charterhouse Warren Farm, showing snapped femurs, bashed skulls, and slicing cuts. Researchers suggest the victims were slaughtered and possibly eaten in a ceremonial feast, with some bones bearing marks of human teeth.

The findings, published in the journal Antiquity, suggest the victims were slaughtered in a single, large-scale event between 2210 and 2010 BC. Discovered in 1970 at Charterhouse Warren Farm, near Bristol, the site had initially been dismissed as a typical Bronze Age burial. However, the new study reveals the remains belonged to victims who were likely captives or caught in a surprise attack. No evidence of weapons or defensive injuries was found.

Nearly half of the recovered skulls bear fatal injuries consistent with blows from wooden clubs. Tool marks on leg bones suggest flesh was stripped, and fractures on long bones point to marrow extraction -- practices associated with cannibalism. The perpetrators also dumped butchered animal remains into the shaft alongside human bones, possibly as part of a ritual.

“It's taken us all aback. It was completely unexpected, totally atypical for the period and for almost all of British prehistory,” said lead author Rick Schulting, archaeology professor at Oxford University.

The scale of the violence and its motivations remain unclear. Researchers believe that a cycle of escalating revenge killings between nearby communities may have triggered the massacre. Rick Schulting suggests that the killings may have been a warning or a form of dehumanisation of the victims. “There has been no [previous] indication of violence on this scale in Britain at that time, both regarding the number of victims and the way in which they were treated after death,” he said.

Unlike the relatively peaceful archaeological record of the British Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, where violent conflict was rare, Charterhouse Warren presents a unique case of mass violence and systematic postmortem processing. The disarticulated remains stand out against the typical burial practices of the period, where articulated skeletons or cremations dominated. Charterhouse Warren joins a handful of European prehistoric sites that document extreme violence and body processing.

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2 Dead, 60 Injured In German Christmas Market Car Attack, Saudi Man Arrested

German police arrested a Saudi man after a deadly car ramming attack on a Christmas market Friday in which a vehicle barrelled through a crowd of revellers at high speed, leaving a trail of bloody carnage.

At least two people were killed and more than 60 injured, said rescue services in the eastern city of Magdeburg located about 130 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of Berlin.

The unnamed suspect was a 50-year-old medical doctor from Saudi Arabia living in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, said regional premier Reiner Haseloff, speaking at the scene which was cordoned off and guarded by police commandos.

"We have arrested the perpetrator, a man from Saudi Arabia, a doctor who has been in Germany since 2006," he told reporters, calling the attack a "catastrophe" for the city and the country.

"From what we currently know he was a lone attacker so we don't think there is any further danger."

Police said the vehicle drove "at least 400 metres across the Christmas market" leaving behind a trail of bloodied casualties at the city's central town hall square.

Ambulances and fire engines rushed to the chaotic site, which was doused in blue emergency lights with sirens wailing, with badly injured people being treated as they lay on the ground or rushed off to hospitals.

Cries and screams could be heard as around 100 police, medics and the fire service officers deployed to the litter-strewn market decorated with Christmas trees and festive lights.

"The pictures are terrible," said city spokesman Michael Reif.

New weekly Der Spiegel, citing security sources, said that a black BMW had barrelled through the crowd at high speed just after 7:00 pm local time (1800 GMT) when the market was filled with revellers.

Haseloff said the Saudi man had driven a rented car with Munich licence plates into the Christmas market.

Die Welt daily reported that a piece of luggage was found on the passenger seat and it was "unclear whether there may be an explosive device in it", adding that "the authorities have not yet ruled out this scenario".

The Magdeburg city administration said in a Facebook post that 15 people were critically injured, with 37 people suffering serious injuries and 16 sustaining light injuries.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had quickly written on X that "the reports from Magdeburg raise the worst fears".

"My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours."

Scholz was expected to travel to the city on Saturday, said the state premier.

- Series of attacks -

The bloody carnage recalled a 2016 jihadist attack in which a Tunisian man driving a lorry killed 12 people in a Christmas market in Berlin, the country's worst ever such attack.

A 13th victim died later having suffered serious injuries in the assault, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has recently called on people to be vigilant at Christmas markets, although she said that authorities had not received any specific threats.

Domestic security service the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had warned it considers Christmas markets to be an "ideologically suitable target for Islamist-motivated people".

Germany has in recent times seen a series of suspected Islamist-motivated knife attacks.

Three people were killed and eight wounded in a stabbing spree at a street festival in the western city of Solingen in August.

Police arrested a Syrian suspect over the attack that was claimed by IS.

In June, a policeman was killed in a knife attack in Mannheim, with an Afghan national held as the main suspect.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote that "the anticipation of a peaceful Christmas was suddenly interrupted" but he cautioned that "the background to the terrible deed has yet been clarified".

The leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, which has focused on jihadist attacks in its campaign against immigrants, wrote on X "when will this madness stop?"

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "profoundly shocked" the attack and that he "shares the pain of the German people".

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also said she was "deeply shocked by the brutal attack on the defenceless crowd", adding: "Violence must have no place in our democracies."

Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez said he was "shocked" by the "terrible attack".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Namita Thapar And Anupam Mittal Clash Over 70-Hour Workweek Debate

It's been several months, but the debate on India's work productivity, sparked by Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy's '70-hour workweek' comment continues to rage on. Now, 'Shark Tank India' judges, Namita Thapar and Anupam Mittal, have expressed their views on the matter. During an interview with 'Humans of Bombay', Mr Mittal, founder and CEO of Shaadi.com, engaged in a fiery debate with Ms Thapar, the CEO of Emcure Pharmaceuticals. While Mr Mittal supported the idea that one should not look at the number of hours being clocked at work, Ms Thapar disagreed with him calling it a "crock of bullsh*t".

In the interview, Mr Mittal was asked about his opinion on the workweek debate. He said, "I think it is a big lie that's being told to this generation, and I think it stinks because you are not ever going to... okay this is for people who want to achieve something extraordinary in life... you are not going to achieve anything extraordinary in life by counting the hours that you are putting in."

Mr Thapar then quickly chimed in, saying that it is different for founders as they have an "upside" which is not there for regular employees and therefore, they should work for stipulated hours, considering the work-life balance. "Basically this whole discussion and argument that is going on, pardon my language, is a crock of bullsh*t," she said.

Ms Thapar explained three data points to support her argument. "No. 1, when Emcure went public, it was $3 billion, my family owns 80 percent, so imagine the kind of wealth I am making. The founders, set of co-founders and top management, look at the kind of money they are making. Obviously, we could work 20 hours a day, which is what we all do. But the employee? Today, my accountant, he is making a salary, he does not have the upside of putting in that kind of hours," she said. 

Ms Thapar then went on to say that extended work hours cannot be a norm for regular employees as it will have far-reaching implications. "If he is going to put in that kind of hours, my second data point is, he is going to have serious, serious, serious physical and mental health issues," she said.

"So, I think for founders and high stakeholders, who make tons of money - go for it. Work 24 hours a day forever! But I think for the common man and woman... (there needs to be) a certain number of hours that they are supposed to work, and of course when there are deliverables... people work longer hours, but it is not on a non-stop, standard number basis," she continued. 

Also Read | Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal's Strongly-Worded Email To Employees On WFH Misuse Goes Viral

"Third thing: For God's sake, don't get married and have children because the next generation is suffering because of non-existent parents... just spare them the misery and mental health issues due to having an absentee parent. So, I think for people with high stakes, yes (work long hours), but for common employees, have a reasonable work limit, knowing that there will be some blips during deliverable time, but it cannot be a constant 70-hour work week, which is what a lot of people are proposing," she added. 

Notably, the 70-hour workweek debate started when Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy said that India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world and asked the youth the contribute towards building the culture so that India can compete effectively on the global stage. 

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