While she was happy about meeting her parents after almost a year, apprehensions about how she would now manage two square meals for her ageing and poverty stricken parents were constantly playing on her mind. She knows she will now have to search for another job very soon.
Similar emotions were expressed by most of the ‘rescued’ under-aged girls who went on their own to work in Mumbai to help their family back home, before being rescued by My Home India, a Mumbai-based NGO, members of which escorted them to Guwahati this afternoon.
Forty minors, including 36 girls, were today brought back to Guwahati from Mumbai, where they were engaged in a fish export company.
It may be mentioned that as many as 60 children of Assam had been rescued from the company by the Maharashtra Police on July 18. While 40 of them were brought to Guwahati, the rest were handed over to their parents in Mumbai itself days after being rescued.
But, for many of these children, it was not a happy homecoming in many ways. They are aware that public attention and media hype is temporary and that the condition back home will be tailor-made for another tout to come and persuade them.
“I was paid Rs 7,000 which I used to send to my parents. No one tortured or harassed us,” said one of the ‘rescued’ minors.
Such a state of affairs speaks volumes about the hollowness of the system in place, especially the much-hyped rehabilitation programmes.
Sukesh Jha of My Home India told media persons that the girls were taken to Mumbai by some local agents in Assam on commission basis and that it is a very well-oiled racket that is flourishing across the country, especially Assam.
The SP (CID) Violet Baruah said that the children will be handed over to their parents after proper verification.
Source: Assam Tribune
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