India, known as a place where women and girls are worshipped in the form of holy diety, which teaches its citizens to even respect the nation in the form of Mother India, has been struggling with the increasing rate of crimes against women in the country. While NCRB report claims that about 1 rape is committed in the country in every 15 minutes, the recent incident of Chitrakoot is an eye-opener for every citizen of the country.
The incident of Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot district, as reported by a news channel, where minor girls aged 12-14 from poor families are forced to work in illegal mines and have to trade of their bodies in exchange for their meager wages.
However, parents of these girls are aware of these sexual exploitations of their girls. But they are helpless to do anything as they need money to survive. instead of giving money to these minor girls, the contractors and middlemen raped them.
Reportedly, the contractors who employ these girls never revealed their real names to girls. Also, they employ them on one condition that they will have to sell their bodies.
According to the report in India today “we are helpless, we agree to it. They give us a job, exploit us, and then don’t pay us our wages in full. When we refuse their sexual advances, they threaten they will not employ us any longer. What will we eat if we don’t work? We eventually agree to their terms”, a victim said.
Another girl told India today, “they threaten us saying we will have to agree to their terms if we want our jobs we agree. They also lure us with money and at times more than one man is involved in the exploitation. If we say no to their advances, they threaten to throw us down the hill.”
A girl who dropped out of school due to poverty told India Today that when they refused to do sexual favors to them then, they beat them. However, they have no other options.
“We feel sad about all this and think of dying or running away”, the girl said.
Illegal mines contractors also asked these girls to wear make-up and if they don’t follow their instructions then they ask them what they do with their daily wages.
This reports of India Today woke up the administration, The DM of Chitrakoot has ordered a probe into the matter. Also, the state government launched an investigation and promised prompt action.
Dr. Vishesh Gupta, chairperson Uttar Pradesh commission for protection of child rights said, “we have taken note of the matter and we will send a team to investigate this”.
RS Pandey, ASP Chitrakoot said, “we have not heard of any such incident. We are fully alert and have asked the village guards to remain vigilant and report every incident in the villages, we are gathering information”.
Swati maliwal, chairperson of Delhi Commission for women, slammed the district officials for stating that they had no knowledge about the incident.
“How is it possible that the girls are being sexually exploited and local administration does not have any idea about it,” she said in a post on her twitter handle.
Kailash satyarthi, the child rights activist urged U.P. CM Yogi Adityanath to initiate a high-level independent inquiry into the matter.
“The news of rape and selling of minor girls for sex in Chitrakoot is utterly shameful. Incidents like these are unacceptable in any civilised society, I urge CM Yogi Adityanath to initiate a high-level independent inquiry into the matter,” kailash satyarthi tweeted.
A question is raised against the administration whether the administration is really unaware of the exploitation of poor minor girls under its nose. It’s really shameful for us that after being living in an independent country, such kind of exploitation is still prevailing in our society.
