Missing Daughters of India- My experience

Daughters day, which falls on the 25th of September, brought back traumatic memories.

 I remember my experiences as an activist from 2012, which still linger in my mind as I visualize them daily. It gives me nightmares all the time.

I have been traveling to different villages across Rajasthan and Haryana. (northern states of India) and rescuing young girls aged 14-16 who were trafficked from Assam, West Bengal (eastern parts of India). These girls were forcibly married to men double/triple their age in north Indian states. The main reason was the absence of girls in these states. It is because of the mass female foeticide that occurred in north India for decades.

In December 2014, 871 females per 1,000 males were reported as per the Civil Registration System. Research stated female foeticide to be the main reason.

Female foeticide is the process of finding out the sex of the fetus and undergoing an abortion if it is a girl. There are multiple reasons for female foeticide to occur. They are as follows:

1) Dowry

2) Preference for a male heir

3) Low status of women 

4) Status

5) Socio-Cultural Practises

 I used to keep getting calls from police officers across northeast India about girls being abducted and missing. One such incident was in 2013 when a man in his fifties called me to inform me about his wife missing. She called him from Haryana and said that the villagers were forcing her to marry, and she didn't understand the language.

I didn't believe him initially, as women in their fifties can't be trafficked, in my opinion, but he kept calling me multiple times. So I finally decided to contact the Superintendent of Police of that area in Haryana and asked for his assistance in the rescue operation. The officer ensured my full cooperation. 

We started on a Saturday early morning, around 3 am, as it was winter, so there was fog all around. It took us 5 hours to reach the Police Chowki in that district. We met the police in charge.

I didn't share any details with him as he was also from the same village where Aunty was confined. I requested him to find out if any women had been brought for marriage outside Haryana. They got the information, I didn't disclose anything and told him to give a team in plain clothes as per SP order, and we started the rescue operation by around 10 am and reached the village. On entering the lane, I saw cows all around and music being played on the premises, and I barged inside the house casually and saw a woman whose back was turned towards me. She was wearing a pink Indian dress. I called her name, and she looked back and hugged me, saying Didi( sister save me). The entire house was in the mood for celebration. Food and drinks were being served, and everybody was dancing. I asked them what was going on. They shared it was their son's marriage. I was speechless. Which son, I inquired.

A woman got up and told me her son was getting married to Aunty, standing beside me. I told them the Aunty was 52 years old and the Aunty's eldest son was older than the person with whom they wanted Aunty to get married. They started abusing me and said we paid 50 thousand rupees to buy her. They further said they sold land and a cow to buy Aunty and that Aunty would give them their heir. I told them it was impossible, and they didn't believe me. 

According to them, Aunty looked short and small, so now Aunty was the apt bride for her son. I tried to explain to the villagers that people from eastern India are short in height and have no relation to their age. They started threatening me that they would not allow me to take Aunty. I was also adamant I caught hold of Aunty's hand and moved out of the house. They followed me and started asking Aunty not to go with me. I told Aunty to give back the jewelry they gave her. she took out everything and gave it to them. It was a horrifying tale for me, leaving the village and coming to the police station amidst the fiasco. The entire town was against me. I paid no heed to them, told the driver to drive, and we ran inside the jeep. Once I entered the ps, I saw Khap panchayat (union of villages) sitting outside for me, as if they would not let me leave the town. I stayed in the police station, did all the legal formalities, and left the village at 2 pm.

On the way, I was told by Aunty her tale of woe. It was harrowing. There seems to be a lady who used to sell cosmetics to women around Aunty's area in Assam( North East India). This lady befriended Aunty and became good friends with her. Aunty was a homemaker after her household chores. She had nothing to do, so she used to wait for this lady. The lady was cunning and realized Aunty had no friends, she started visiting Aunty frequently, and one fine day she called Aunty for a cup of tea. Aunty went with her, where Aunty had the tea and became subconscious. When Aunty opened her eyes, she was already sold off in Haryana. And the lady had left. This incident shattered me. I realized no one is safe in my country.

I swore to start my advocacy for female foeticide along with Trafficking since 2014

Human Trafficking has no age, boundaries, caste, or class. It's one of the world forms of modern-day slavery. But, unlike arms and drugs, humans can be sold repeatedly. It's a billion-dollar industry and a profitable business. Female Foeticide is another cause of the increase of trafficking in women