Two trafficked Manipuri girls rescued in Bangalore

DIMAPUR, July 17 : Following request from the Kuki Students Association of Bangalore, Praja Rajakiya Vedike managed to rescue two teenage girls from city houses, where they were placed as domestic help against their will by an agent who trafficked them from Manipur.

A press note from the PRV informed that the 19 year old girls were lured by an agent and were promised jobs in a beauty parlor as beauticians for a salary of Rs.5000 per month along with free food and accommodation. They were brought to Bangalore by train by a Manipuri man from Moyrang. The two girls from Churachandpur district in Manipur were handed over to another agent Mala in Bangalore. “Mala, who also speaks Manipuri, stays in the city with her husband and after keeping the two girls for a couple of days they were both separated and placed as domestic maids, one in Banashankari and the other in JP Nagar on June 1,'' said Manohar Elavarthi of PRV.

He also added that the girls were “not happy with the job of maid and as they could not speak Hindi, English or Kannada and were isolated and living in fear.” They wanted to go back to Manipur but they were not allowed to go out nor talk to anyone, he added. He also informed that the mobile phones belonging to the girls were taken away and that they got them back only after a week. However, the girls found that all their contact numbers were deleted. “One of the girls, managed to call her mother back in Manipur, who in turn enquired with the agent there,'' Manohar added.

After their parents failed to get any proper response, they apparently filed a police complaint and an FIR both in Moyrang and Churachandpur. Later, they informed the Kuki Students Association in Churachandpur who requested the local Kuki Students Association of Bangalore. Both the girls belong to the Kuki tribe. This association contacted Praja Rajakiya Vedike for help as the latter ran a helpline for North East students in Bangalore.

Members of PRV managed to locate the Agent and convinced him to get the girls to a public place for talks. They initially demanded Rs 30,000 for expenses incurred on the girls and said that “only if the amount is paid, the girls would be released.” However, PVR members managed to mobilise the public and did not allow them to take back the girld. “We threatened them of police action and one of the agents took our activist and left the other girl with him and disappeared,'' Manohar said.

``The girls are provided a safe place by the North East Welfare Association of Karnataka and police (DCP South and Adugodi Police) were also informed about the details when they called us,'' he added.

Praja Rajakiya Vedike in the press note has demanded that the police of both the states trace and alert the traffickers immediately and investigate into the racquet to find out if other victims are still untraced. “We want them to be arrested under anti-trafficking and SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act,” it stated. PRV also has also demanded better protection for people of North East in Bangalore.