We travel onto Udalguri, one of the 27 districts in Assam, but face an obstacle along the way. We are stopped by military guards who are keeping observation in the area in case of conflict during a bandh which has been called for 48hours. Bandh, a Hindi word for "closed" is a form of protest used by political activists. A strike you might call it. We are told that Bandhs are common practice in Assam, usually called by underground activists for various reasons. It happens so much so that an average student in Assam takes an extra two years to graduate because of limited access to school during bandhs where everything in the region is forced to shut down. Risks of riots are extremely high during these times so military escorts are provided for certain organizations including EHA when traveling through the districts. we wait for our escort vehicle to come and we are finally back on the road, full military unit truck powering on ahead. Along the way we see a truck that has been torched and burnt to its frames, a sign of violence and anger amongst the people of Assam. While driving through udalguri, we learn that a local tribe, the boros heavily occupy the area, more than 50 percent in fact and they are fighting to gain control of the plains they occupy. There are frequent violent conflicts which occurs between the boros and authorities and the tribe often participate in rituals such as beheading of those suspected of witchcraft, kidnappings and blowing up public infrastructure including railway lines. They are regarded highly dangerous when it comes to trafficking and consider the more number of slaves they have as a sign of prosperity and wealth.
We arrive safely at a tea garden in udalguri and we are met by 7 local pastors who have gathered at quaint local church to tell us their stories on the fight against trafficking. We are also joined by leaders and members of the local student union, a powerful body which acts somewhat as the authority figure in these districts. Not just in Assam but in many parts of India, the voice of the youth is becoming increasingly influential and they play am integral part in rescuing and recognizing trafficking agents. In some cases, they become judge, jury and executioner when the police don't act against trafficking, a common problem in a country where bribes are common practice. The secretary of the tea garden has also joined us, but is very cautious of the information he shares. When we ask if they use children in their gardens he quickly responds to say that when they do they make sure fair wage and good working conditions are provided, a scripted answer found in manuals for child laborers I'm sure.
We spend a good hour in discussion with the pastors and the like and we are encouraged by their pro activeness in forming an ACT group (active communities against trafficking) and find hope in their stories of a few rescue missions, education for children and efforts to remove the stigma within their communities of being a trafficking victim. Another unfortunate side to trafficking, especially for women is that they often are rejected from their own communities and aren't allowed to marry or even get jobs once they are recognized as being a victim (I prefer survivor) of trafficking...and so they look for acceptance in the wrong places and they vulnerability leads to the cycle to begin again.
The pastors are keen on keeping in touch and are excited about our return in August.
We are offered a gift by the secretary - bags of tea and we accept out of respect. Although instincts tell us that behind the carefully guarded walls of the gardens, blood, sweat and tears are poured into the picking of each tea leaf.
We continue our journey into Bormukuli, a small village of 75 families, situated just 5km from the Bhutan border. We arrive to a warm welcome with a song sung by the community, our hands washed and then presented individually with a local scarf as a sign of welcome and love. I look up as a woman draped in a beautiful sari washes my hands and presents me with a scarf, only to catch a glimpse of the Bhutanese mountains in the near distance. It's quite surreal and if a week ago someone told me I would be standing where I was I wouldn't have believed them.
It is in this community we find most hope and encouragement in our fight against trafficking. Here, trafficking was a common occurrence only 10-15 years ago, but since then through education, prevention, awareness and community support they formed a local ACT group, the most remote ACT group we could come across and here they are today with zero accounts of trafficking reported last year. This area is particularly vulnerable to trafficking with its proximity to the Bhutan border yet they have managed to put in practices and regulations to enable a safe environment for their women and children. This small act group basically provides education to their women and children not only of the dangers of trafficking but also the economics of trafficking. They teach their community that although trafficking agents may offer more money in other cities the cost of living outweighs any savings and calculations show that they can earn ore money by living in the village. They have set up a local economy in the form of crops and vegetable growing - a key component of preventing trafficking. To ensure that there is safe work in the community to eradicate vulnerability and instead provide sustainability. Otherwise, it becomes so easy to fall into the traps of trafficking, over and over again. This ACT group also implements a strict interview, counseling, and education program if someone wishes to leave the community to work so they make an informed decision and furthermore keeps a registry who end up leaving and take on the responsibility of following up to ensure they are working under good conditions. As a result of this collaborative effort and solid structure and support network, only two men have left the community to work in other areas and we are pleased to hear that they are working under good conditions. This community is s testament to the positive outcomes when a community bands together, as they say it takes a community to raise a child.
We spend the afternoon being spoilt with food, archery and great conversations. We are disappointed to leave but excited to return to hopefully hear many more stories.
On the way home, Dr Singh, Dr David (another doctor who had joined us on our travels today), Vasu, Carolyn and I share many laughs and share stories on our individual lives and experiences. That's the silver lining to a 4 hour drive back home. The heavens opened up and the much needed rain begins to our down accompanied by the roar of thunder. A nice cool breeze whips through the car and the smell of rain is much welcomed. The skies are pink as the sun sets and we finish our eventful day with a special dinner with the hospital family. The rain continues to pour, a prelude to monsoon season.
For your reference...
http://www.stopthetraffik.org/how-to-start-one
http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/T%20&%20T/T%20&%20T-04-0-000-000-2006-Web/T%20&%20T-04-1-001-076-2006-Abst-PDF/T%20&%20T-04-1-057-062-2006-088-Narzary-P-K/T%20&%20T-04-1-057-062-2006-088-Narzary-P-K-Text.pdf
We arrive safely at a tea garden in udalguri and we are met by 7 local pastors who have gathered at quaint local church to tell us their stories on the fight against trafficking. We are also joined by leaders and members of the local student union, a powerful body which acts somewhat as the authority figure in these districts. Not just in Assam but in many parts of India, the voice of the youth is becoming increasingly influential and they play am integral part in rescuing and recognizing trafficking agents. In some cases, they become judge, jury and executioner when the police don't act against trafficking, a common problem in a country where bribes are common practice. The secretary of the tea garden has also joined us, but is very cautious of the information he shares. When we ask if they use children in their gardens he quickly responds to say that when they do they make sure fair wage and good working conditions are provided, a scripted answer found in manuals for child laborers I'm sure.
We spend a good hour in discussion with the pastors and the like and we are encouraged by their pro activeness in forming an ACT group (active communities against trafficking) and find hope in their stories of a few rescue missions, education for children and efforts to remove the stigma within their communities of being a trafficking victim. Another unfortunate side to trafficking, especially for women is that they often are rejected from their own communities and aren't allowed to marry or even get jobs once they are recognized as being a victim (I prefer survivor) of trafficking...and so they look for acceptance in the wrong places and they vulnerability leads to the cycle to begin again.
The pastors are keen on keeping in touch and are excited about our return in August.
We are offered a gift by the secretary - bags of tea and we accept out of respect. Although instincts tell us that behind the carefully guarded walls of the gardens, blood, sweat and tears are poured into the picking of each tea leaf.
We continue our journey into Bormukuli, a small village of 75 families, situated just 5km from the Bhutan border. We arrive to a warm welcome with a song sung by the community, our hands washed and then presented individually with a local scarf as a sign of welcome and love. I look up as a woman draped in a beautiful sari washes my hands and presents me with a scarf, only to catch a glimpse of the Bhutanese mountains in the near distance. It's quite surreal and if a week ago someone told me I would be standing where I was I wouldn't have believed them.
It is in this community we find most hope and encouragement in our fight against trafficking. Here, trafficking was a common occurrence only 10-15 years ago, but since then through education, prevention, awareness and community support they formed a local ACT group, the most remote ACT group we could come across and here they are today with zero accounts of trafficking reported last year. This area is particularly vulnerable to trafficking with its proximity to the Bhutan border yet they have managed to put in practices and regulations to enable a safe environment for their women and children. This small act group basically provides education to their women and children not only of the dangers of trafficking but also the economics of trafficking. They teach their community that although trafficking agents may offer more money in other cities the cost of living outweighs any savings and calculations show that they can earn ore money by living in the village. They have set up a local economy in the form of crops and vegetable growing - a key component of preventing trafficking. To ensure that there is safe work in the community to eradicate vulnerability and instead provide sustainability. Otherwise, it becomes so easy to fall into the traps of trafficking, over and over again. This ACT group also implements a strict interview, counseling, and education program if someone wishes to leave the community to work so they make an informed decision and furthermore keeps a registry who end up leaving and take on the responsibility of following up to ensure they are working under good conditions. As a result of this collaborative effort and solid structure and support network, only two men have left the community to work in other areas and we are pleased to hear that they are working under good conditions. This community is s testament to the positive outcomes when a community bands together, as they say it takes a community to raise a child.
We spend the afternoon being spoilt with food, archery and great conversations. We are disappointed to leave but excited to return to hopefully hear many more stories.
On the way home, Dr Singh, Dr David (another doctor who had joined us on our travels today), Vasu, Carolyn and I share many laughs and share stories on our individual lives and experiences. That's the silver lining to a 4 hour drive back home. The heavens opened up and the much needed rain begins to our down accompanied by the roar of thunder. A nice cool breeze whips through the car and the smell of rain is much welcomed. The skies are pink as the sun sets and we finish our eventful day with a special dinner with the hospital family. The rain continues to pour, a prelude to monsoon season.
For your reference...
http://www.stopthetraffik.org/how-to-start-one
http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/T%20&%20T/T%20&%20T-04-0-000-000-2006-Web/T%20&%20T-04-1-001-076-2006-Abst-PDF/T%20&%20T-04-1-057-062-2006-088-Narzary-P-K/T%20&%20T-04-1-057-062-2006-088-Narzary-P-K-Text.pdf
