|
TURA: Recent cases of women and young girls leaving the safety of their homes to head out of the region into unknown territory without consulting family and relatives has led to much concern with village elders coming together with NGOs to discuss the issue and find a solution to it. Village elders, parents along with social organisations including Mothers’ Union, North Garo Hills Vigilance Forum, Garo Students’ Union, FKJGP and the Joint Action Committee held a meeting at Bajengdoba multipurpose hall on Friday morning to try and contain the situation wherein several dozens young girls have disappeared in recent years after being lured with promise of jobs and easy money in cities outside Garo Hills. Just a week back, a young widow with four children befriended an unknown person who encouraged her to leave the village and head across the inter-state border. She left behind three young children. Most recently a teenage girl disappeared in a suspected case of kidnapping prompting social groups to take up the matter. “We are very concerned over the growing number of young girls disappearing after being lured from their villages by people who come from outside. Only a handful of these girls have been successfully located and brought back home,” said a worried Panseng B Marak, adviser of the North Garo Hills Vigilance Forum. Secretary of the GSU’s northern zone Singbirth Sangma said that awareness needs to be spread and parents and families need to remain alert against people who come with promises of providing high paying jobs outside. “Children need to be sensitized so that they do not fall prey to these unscrupulous elements who come to the village with evil intentions,” said Singbirth Sangma. Leaders of the Mothers Union from Bajengdoba suggested putting in place a mechanism at the village level to check the growing number of human trafficking cases. It was decided to spread awareness through village committees and a Joint Action Committee would be formed to take up the matter. It was decided at the meeting to inform village chiefs not to allow outsiders to go for door to door sale of materials in the villages except in the village market. The antecedents of the traders would also be scrutinized by the village heads. “Door to door visit by outside traders to sell their wares is one of the main reasons such crimes are taking place,” said senior citizen and Bajengdoba development committee president G R Marak. “We are going to hold meetings across village levels with the help of NGOs to spread awareness, beginning next week,” revealed FKJGP Bajengdoba president Tengrak R Marak. |
|
|