Newmai News Network
Dimapur | March 14
On March 12 fifty one (51) young girls and boys, including minors from Manipur and Nagaland, have been rescued from two children’s homes in Jaipur by Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi (TLS-D).
Today, TSL-D informed Newmai News Network that of the 29 girls and 22 boys rescued, 22 girls are from Manipur and 3 from Nagaland. Regarding the boys, 7 are from Manipur and 4 are from Nagaland. They range in age from 5 to 14 years.
On Tuesday, a team led by the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Rajasthan, with seven members of TSLD, social workers and activists and media persons, raided the children’s homes called ‘Grace Home.’
The ‘Grace Home’ is alleged to be illegally run by one Jacob John, flouting every norm and guideline laid by the Child Welfare Committee. He was arrested under the Indian Penal Code sections 344, 366 and 370(5) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 sections 23 and 28. TSLD was informed about the existence of this Home by a former inmate, after which they contacted the appropriate authorities in Jaipur.
The Tangkhul Women Union said the conditions that existed were shocking. The girl’s shared a single room with no female warden, caretaker or helper. All the domestic work was done by them.
They informed the team that they were not allowed to make phone calls to their parents and families. When rarely allowed to do so, someone was present to ensure that they did not report anything to their family about how they live and were being treated.
When some of the team members spoke, the younger children could respond only in Hindi as they had forgotten their mother tongue. The team also found about 600 bottles of liquor and rotting vegetables lying in the kitchen and the toilet broken, indicating the unsanitary and unsafe conditions in which the girls were made to live. The children were promised free education, food and shelter, but they never went to a school. Of the 29 girls rescued, 22 are from Manipur, 3 from Nagaland, and the others were from Jharkhand. Among the boys, 7 were from Manipur, 4 from Nagaland, and the rest were from Punjab and Chattisgarh.
“TSL-D would like to state that Human Trafficking is a serious concern and appeals to all parents and guardians to be cautious and verify the credibility of such homes before sending their children away. Taking advantage of economic vulnerabilities, they lure people, promising jobs, free education, training and care. Very often the ‘traffickers’ are family members or someone known. TSL-D is concerned about the personal and psychological toll on the children and how it will impact the society. TSL-D would also like to call upon every citizen and social organization to raise awareness and educate the people of this increasing trend. Human trafficking robs human dignity and conscience and it must be stopped,” the Tangkhul Shanao Long-Delhi appealed.
