Human trafficking reported
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 30 2011: After the incident of rescuing a large number of children who were taken out from Manipur illegally on assurance of providing better job or education facilities but found kept in inhumane condition in children homes in other parts of India or abroad, two young girls, who too have been taken away from Churachandpur district under similar condition 8 years back, have reportedly communicated to their family members to rescue them.

The two girls, who are related as sisters, have been allegedly taken by some members of Zomi Mothers' Association after extracting the consent of their mother for keeping them at a children home in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu in 2003.Although the sisters were lodged in the children home since 2003, family members could not establish any contact with them until Nov/Dec last year.

All these time, members of Zomi Mothers' Association have been assuring the family members that the two girls are safe and sound and are living happy.

However, the two girls have spilled out the beans in the first opportunity of talking with their family members.

The two girls have informed the family members that the children home they are staying in is like a jail.

There is no facilities for medical treatment in case of illness and each of the inmates are allocated only one set of cloth.

They are allow to stay and study only inside the campus of the children home and no other children from outside are allow to study along with the inmates in the same school.

The inmates are also being ill-treated without any rhyme or reason.

The two girls are the daughters of one Khupthianthang, who was killed in the Kuki-Paite clashes of 1997 and K Hatneilam Vaiphei of Gouchingkhup Veng Hangzasial, New Lamka, Churachandpur.

Talking to mediapersons today, S Khambuang, an uncle of the two girls, said that after the death of Khupthianthang in the Kuki-Paite clashes of 1997, Hatneilam Vaiphei suffered mental breakdown and her health deteriorated.

Subsequently, of the three children in the family, Zomi Mothers' Association made the arrangement for taking the two eldest girls (one was born in 1995 and the other in 1998) to a children home at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu in 2003.Hatneilam Vaiphei did object to taking her daughters away.

But Zomi Mothers' Association somehow managed to extract her signature (thumb impression) as consent for taking away the two girls.

S Khambuang informed that a written complaint has been lodged with chairman of Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Churachandpur Daniel Gangte for rescuing the two girls.

In this regard, a media team had visited the office of CWC, Churachandpur.

But the chairman Daniel Gangte was found absent.

When the SP in-charge of Churachandpur district M Rajen was contacted, the police officer informed that no case related to human trafficking have been received at the Anti-Trafficking Cell opened with the Churachandpur police.

Notwithstanding that, the SP in-charge has given his assurance of investigating into the matter.

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