Katihar (Bihar), Jan 21: The rescue of 15
children being trafficked to Delhi from villages in Purnia and Araria districts, which bore the brunt of the deluge when the Kosi changed course, has brought to light tales of childhood condemned to an uncertain future.
Though police claim their intervention saved the
children from being forced into child labour in the megapolis
by traffickers, the accounts of the children are quite to the
contrary.
Seven-year-old Mashrul is wise beyond his years and
said he wanted to work in Delhi to pay back the debt his
father had incurred for the wedding of his sister.
"Our farm is covered by a sheet of water. I have three
sisters and our father had taken a loan for the wedding of one
of them which has to be repaid," says the boy, unconcerned by
the presence of the police.
Like him, 11-year-old Tassavur says, "I have two
sisters, who need to be married off. When one of my
acquaintances asked me whether I was prepared to go and work
in Delhi, I agreed," says Tassavur.
He had headed headed for the alleged traffickers from
the field where he was grazing cattle without even
informing his family.
Officer-in-Charge of Government Railway police
station, Katihar, Suresh Prasad, whose team rescued the
children with the help of volunteers of ngo 'Bal Kalyan
Samiti' last Saturday, said 15 children from villages under
Jalalgarh police station in Purnia and Araria police station
in Araria districts were rescued and five traffickers
arrested.
The traffickers were charged under Section 14 of the
Child Labour Act and Section 34 of IPC (acts done by several
persons in furtherance of common intention) and sent to
jail, while the children were being sent to their families.
"Ostensibly, these children between seven and 14 were
being taken to be forced into child labour in factories," teh
police officer said.
Mohd Mussawar, one of the those arrested denied he was
a trafficker claiming "I was going to Delhi in search of work
and the children's families volunteered to send them along due
to the hardship being faced by them.
"One child is my cousin, who was going to Meerut where
his brother works. There is no dearth of work in Delhi and
their families thought they would be better off there."
Farooq Alam, President of 'Bal Kalyan Samiti', said
though child trafficking was not new to border districts of
Bihar, matters worsened after the deluge made farms infertile
and little hope remained of the situation turning any better
in the near future.
"Still, I feel, there should be a law in place with
regard to errant parents, who force their children into labour
as in the case of traffickers," he said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 00:00