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A 16-Year-Old Girl In Bengal Gave Talaq To Her Husband Because He Wouldn't Let Her Study

"I have to get on with life and carve my path just like Malala did."
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A 16-year-old Muslim girl from rural Bengal has taken a decision that should inspire girls across the country to follow their dreams of education.

Mampi Khatoon divorced her husband because he was against her wish to continue studies.

According to the Times of India report, Mampi, a resident of Mullickpur Mandirbazar, around 55km from Kolkata, was married off by her parents against her wish in 2015. Though, at the time of marriage, her in-laws and husband agreed to her demand of continuing her studies but later refused.

But the young girl's determination kept her going. She cleared her Madhyamik exam this year and expressed her desire to get admitted to Krishnachandrapur High School at Mathurapur for further studies. On being refused she left her husband and came back to her parents house.

On learning about their daughter-in-laws admission, the family pressurized Mampi to get back with them and leave school. Unable to take it anymore, Mampi walked up to her husband and shouted "talaq" thrice.

"I have to get on with life and carve my path just like Malala did," a stern Mampi was quoted saying.

Mampi's bold decision was appreciated by many and also attracted several critics.

"Only a man had the right to give talaq to a woman. A woman pronouncing talaq is not acceptable," Maulana Abdul Mannan of Masoompara Masjid reportedly said.

Many termed her stand as very courageous, social activist Miratun Nahar said under the Sharia law, a woman can seek termination of the marriage contract (khula).

"In this case, the woman has sought divorce for pursuing studies. Even if the girl doesn't satisfy the grounds laid down in the Sharia laws for seeking divorce, I believe she has reasonable grounds to do so."

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.