This has been one of the most
traumatic week of my life time. A mob attack from within!!!
A few weeks back, 7 girls rescued by Gopalapuram
police,Secunderabad were admitted in our shelter through court order. In just 3
days we were uncomfortable with these women, there was something sinister about
them. This was further reinforced when 30 other girls who were cheery and full
of life, willing to learn new trades started showing signs of hostility. In a
few hours we realized that these were 7 traffickers posing as victims…in
essence infiltrators and the 30 girls belonged to their gang.
I immediately informed the
concerned court, and the magistrate was clueless on what has to be done as the
police had shown these women as victims in their FIR.
Although we were alert and for
weeks together there was no sign of any trouble…what we did not realize is that
a huge conspiracy was being hatched.
Last week on Durgashtami day,
these 37 instigated another 100 and mobbed the shelter from within…unimaginable
violence, 5-6lakh worth property was damaged(truck, tata sumo all vehicles
including) and 16 people were
injured including 4 staff. As the girls slashed others with broken pieces of
glasses and stoned the shelter…over 300 others were shivering with fright and
praying for their lives.
They had planned to do this on a
day when I am not in town and they had presumed that I was traveling to Delhi.
Unfortunately for them my plans had changed and I was very much in the city. I
was able to mobilize police support and start from Hyderabad
immediately(shelter is 65 kms from Hyderabad). With the timely support of the
local police who mobilized force from nearby stations we were able to control
the mob within the campus. I shudder to think, even if one girl had come out of
the campus…what a field day media would have had and what all I will have to
answer! Much later I came to know that media was already informed and they were
desperately waiting for some news outside…a district addition did go ahead and print something about fishy
happenings inside our shelter…
It has taken 6 days and 6 nights
for me to bring back some sense of hope and confidence in 450 women and
children living in our therapeutic community. I had to speak to each one of
them…and 90% of them were traumatized by what they saw…and kept repeating they
always thought our shelter was much more safer than their own homes…but today
they are scared and feel at a dead end…if not this place…where can they go?
Between all this deep within me
there unbearable pain and anguish. I wonder every moment now on the truths I
unraveled during this time:
-The fact that the Gopalpuram
police knew these were traffickers and yet send them to our shelter especially
when all these girls were supposed to give their statement in the court next
week and the police is aware of it. When I confronted the police their logic
was if we send them to jail they will get bail and they will become even more
hardened, atleast in Prajwala we are sure they will get reformed. Was it
compliment or connivance I wonder?
-The fact that Prajwala is the
only licensed home for such specialized care for sex trafficked victims both in
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh. And police from all over India just keep
dumping girls on our head through court orders. There is not a single
Government run shelter home for this cause. Where is the state accountability
to deal with this problem?
-The fact that Centrally
sponsored Ujjwala scheme is a disaster to say the least. The scheme does not
even acknowledge both in word and action that sex trafficking is an organized
crime and homes getting this scheme should get adequate/proportionate security.
The implementation and disbursement is even more pathetic…consequently 80% of
fraudulent NGO’s are only accessing the scheme.
-The fact that in this country
there is no victim witness protection scheme which can ensure that all victim
witnesses in these cases are provided adequate protection post their stay in
safe house….so what is their fate when they leave our shelters? And therefore
why should they testify at all? State does not protect them…I can give only for
a limited period of time….and the perpetrators thanks to our brilliant criminal
justice system will get a bail and will be waiting for the victim outside my
shelter as soon as she is out!
Today I am feeling so choked and
frustrated…there is only so much I can do as an individual and an organization.
The State neither acknowledges this problem nor is willing to place resources
to fight this crime…
We at one end struggle with
resource crunch…at another fight the sex mafia but the biggest fight is against
the society and State for its apathy and rejection.
After rescuing 12,000 girls from
prostitution and attempting to rehabilitate and reintegrate them I am still
wondering…will I ever make an impact?
