A Seminar was organized by Project Swarajya on Trafficking of Women and Children in Orissa on 29.10.03 in the premises of Mahakalapada Block Headquarters.
Sri Ashih Kumar Senapati, Project Director of Project Swarajya for the Kendrapara Branch started the programme at 10 A.M by welcoming the chief guest along with other guests and the participants. He approached Mr. Balaram Parida Chairman, Mahakalapada Block to preside over the Seminar for the 1st session. Then he requested the Chief Guest Mrs. Namita Panda Chairperson, State Commission for Women, Orissa to inaugurate the Seminar by lighting the ceremonial candle. Again he asked Mrs. Dolli Dash Secretary Project Swarajya to give introduction of all the guests and to speak on the objectives of the seminar.
Mrs Dash introduced all the guests before the participants. She presented a brief history of the activities of Project Swarajya in regard to Women Empowerment vis-avis Violence Against Women. She told that her organization has been working here on various issues like Coastal Ecology, Pollution Free Environment, Fisher folk Community Development, Trafficking against women and Violence against Women from its inception in 1988. She recaptured the awareness programme on trafficking of women and children held at Redcross Bhawan at Kharinasi in August 2002.
As regards the reasons behind such activities, she described elaborately. She said, when she came here after super cyclone she found that quite a large number of girls are going out for seeking job outside. Many girls were also going out for sake of marriage. Earlier most of the girls were migrating for employment. But later on following the super cyclone the migration of girls rapidly increased. It was found that most of the migrant girls were coming back to the village in a miserable condition. Some of the girls came back with a child whose father was not known. These girls couldn't reestablish contact with their so-called husbands and in-laws. Some of the girls who left the village for jobs returned with child whose father was also not known. Quite many girls didn't return over the years at all. Sometime it was seen that when the family members wanted to invite their daughters for attending the family functions, they did not get their address and whereabouts. The family members going in search of their daughters were coming back home with a broken heart, due to their failure to get into touch with the girl. Still the people of that area were not aware about the problems involved. Rather they started questioning us, 'Would you be responsible for our daughter's marriage?' As regards the reasons behind the miserable situation of the girls, the information was collected from the parents. Some persons were coming from outside to their village for vending purposes. They used to select a poor family to settle down in the village. Then gradually they tried to get closer to the family members. After building a familiar relationship with them, they used to propose the marriage of their daughter with persons. Then they could take the girl with them and sell her away afterwards.
In view of such cases of trafficking, some activities were necessary for checking these illegal practices. Now another serious problem is the question of the survival of the returnees.
In order to create an awareness on anti-trafficking among the people belonging to that area, a seminar was organized in August 2002 in Kharinasi area. Then its report was discussed in the Narishakti meeting. Eventually a project called Jagnyaseni was taken up by Narishakti. Narishakti is a forum for women workers and staffs of NGOs in Orissa. Jagnyaseni was formed as a network for anti-trafficking campaign. So this network undertook a project with the financial assistance of CWS to campaign against trafficking of women and children in Orissa. In the meantime Project Swarajya became a partner of this network.
Then Mrs. Dolli Dash told about the need for registering the marriage to check illegal trafficking. Jagnyaseni started the work for marriage registration in various places. It is also an objective of the network. With this Mrs.Dash ended her introductory speech.
Then Smt.Namita Panda, Chairperson State Commission for Women spoke. She said that poverty and illiteracy are main barriers for women to get into the mainstream. There is reservation for women. But despite 33% reservation to women in the Panchayati system, they are still unsafe and dependent on others. She also repeated that 56 years have already rolled on since independence. But a woman is quite unable to get her minimum independence so far. Thus, the position of a woman at present is as vulnerable as it was in the past. She has no right on her body and mind.
She said women were weak and powerless. But it is not that the people should take advantage of it. As per the Commission's Report, about 30 numbers of girls were being trafficked from this area every month on an average. A numbers of cases of false marriage are informed to her office each month. Taking advantage of the vulnerability of the women, some persons having vested interests were doing all sorts of nefarious activities with them. It is not only the case of this area. Such type of incidents are happening throughout the State. She gave instances of Balasore, Nayagarh, Baripada and some other parts of the State. Why such incidents are taking place all over the State, she asked. The poor parents are not able to maintain their large family. Generally they want to dispose of the burden of their daughters, so as to be free from the financial hassles.
Ms. Panda appreciated the work of Project Swarajya saying that the organization is giving emphasis on marriage registration. As Chairperson of the Women's Commission she found that besides the trafficking, the cases of torture, violence, murder and harassment etc. were coming everyday and they centred round marriage disputes. There is no adequate evidence to prove a marriage as legal marriage. There is therefore a need for compulsory registration of marriage. By this the cases of illegal trafficking can be checked. Here a racket of middlemen is very active and they have a wide network throughout the country, she said.
Some questions were raised by the activists and media personnel from among the participants. One journalist asked, being the Chairperson of Women's Commission and being knowledgeable about such atrocities, did she ever raise her voice before the government to check them? She answered that several issues on women atrocities have been regularly cropping up in her office and as well in meeting with police department. Kendrapada Police detected some cases here also. But she alone was not enough to check the rising menace.
She said the political leaders, travel agents and police could stop the trafficking, if they so wanted. She suggested if social activists could motivate and orient the media personnel for checking the trafficking, then it could be stopped. Again she called for the organizations like Project Swarajya and the PRI institutions to come forward to protest against trafficking of women and children.
Then the Guest of Honour Dr. Minakshi Panda, Lecturer City Women's College Cuttack started her speech. She said, earlier also such type of trafficking was there in our society, but in different form, in an invisible manner. Now it has taken a commercial character. Now it is the intervention of both enforcement agencies and the social activists to check the cases of illegal trafficking. Simultaneously the social activists should work for allied issues like protection of women and children from the evil practices like dowry tortures and domestic violence. She said, the world economy is now dependent on drugs and women and child trafficking. The big men of the society are very much involved in such activities.
Referring to a study of OXFAM, she said that all sorts of violence on women are happening and that too in large numbers in coastal districts of Orissa. Bhubaneswar has the highest of such cases. A survey was done by taking 559 cases of violence against women that occurred in different parts of Orissa. Out of them 120 cases were from Bhubaneswar itself, followed by 100 cases from Puri.
Earlier the landlords were forcibly enjoying the girls from poor families. That is what the history says. Nowadays after 56 years of independence such practice is still prevalent in our society. Since the interest of influential persons is behind such practices, it is very difficult to stop them. The same is the case with the problem of trafficking. Only sensitive persons like social activists, journalists, educationists, literary personnel and judicials can check it to some extent.
Lastly she suggested, a cell for women should be set up in every Panchayat on behalf of Panchyati Raj institution. The local leaders including women should form that cell. When a marriage is taking place, that should be recorded with detail information of both the parties. Then only illegal practices like trafficking can be checked.
The Sarapanch of Baulakani GP Mr. Haladhara Swain said that he had the information on trafficking cases for last 20 years. But after cyclone it was rapidly growing. The parents and guardians are mainly responsible for trafficking of their girls. An information came to his knowledge that a father wass preparing for giving marriage his daughter with a street vendor. He immediately interfered and advised the parents not to proceed with the proposal. The father of that girl got angry with him and misunderstood that he was not favouring the marriage of their daughter.
Mr. Chandan Manna Secretary SEEDS presented a case study of Jambu. A group of women of Jambu had detected a case of trafficking. While a group of persons were suspiciously moving with a minor girl, one woman saw and informed her other friends immediately. They followed them on the way for about 2 Kilometers. They asked them where were they going. From the discussion they suspected that the girl was being trafficked. They caught those persons and shouted. Villagers got together at a place. Then the case came to the knowledge of SP Kendrapara Mr. Arun Ku. Bothra. He took immediate and strong action against the traffickers. As a result, that girl could be saved.
Lastly Mr. Parida President of the Seminar gave his concluding speech. He tried to summarize the contents of all speakers. He gave thanks to organizers. To prevent women and child trafficking in his Block, he assured to try his best. As proposed by the State Women's Commission and Dr.Panda, he agreed to maintain a register at Panchyat level for record of all marriages. Again, he assured to keep a record of all girls going out from the village for whatever purpose. He requested his colleagues who are in PRIs, to remain sensitive about all these problems, so that the trafficking could be prevented in their Block area. He thanked all the guests, media, PRI members, SHG members, NGOs and local leaders for participating in the Seminar.
Ms Mausumi Sharma, Social Worker of Project Swarajya had registered all the names of participants of the Seminar.
The vote of thanks was given by Ms. Nirupama Jena, Vice President of the organization. About 112 numbers of participants including media, police personnel and officials attended the Seminar. It was closed at 5 P.M.