They are traditional soul-cleansing destinations. But pilgrim towns Benaras, Tirupati and Shirdi have instead become hubs of global human trafficking
They are traditional soul-cleansing destinations. But pilgrim towns Benaras, Tirupati and Shirdi have instead become hubs of global human trafficking
Nineteen-year-old Seema (name changed to protect her identity) had come to Benaras on a pilgrimage.
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It was the city's religious importance that had persuaded her parents in Nepal to allow their young daughter to travel to a foreign country.
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But instead of angels, Seema met the demons here. She was held captive, gang-raped and then pushed into the flesh trade.
Non-government orgnisations working in Benaras say 500 to 700 girls are brought to the city from Nepal and Bangladesh to be pushed into the flesh trade every year.
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Later, these girls are taken to Mumbai, Delhi and other metropolitan cities.
That's not all. Between 20,000 and 40,000 people are brought here to work as bonded labourers while about 1,000 children are turned into beggars every year.
But Benaras is not the only Indian town of religious importance that has become a ripe picking ground for human traffickers.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed cities like Benaras, Tirupati and Shirdi attract human traffickers who find easy targets from among the large number of people who visit these places.
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Hotbed Benaras
"Seema was only 17 when she was brought to Benaras. She fought her captors and resisted even in the face of near-starvation and physical torture.
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But her will snapped after she was gang-raped by the members of a human trafficking racket," said Dr Lenin Suryavanshi, director, People's Vigilance Commission on Human Resource, one of the most prominent NGOs working in Benaras.
According to Suryavanshi, the Benaras-based gangs "cater" to clients in all the big cities of the country.
Children and girls are also brought to Benaras from Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
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"While most of them are forced into prostitution and begging, many are made to work as bonded labourers as well. Many of them work in the bricks kilns around Benaras," said Suryavanshi.
The CBI and NGOs also informed that the racket is thriving between Benaras and Mughalsarai.
"There is no denying that human trafficking is rampant in these parts but no own knows how deep-rooted it is.
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Regular raids are being carried out but the police hardly get any proof as the gangs keep moving along with the kids and girls," said a senior police official from Benaras, wishing anonymity.
CBI has an eye on Tirupati and Shirdi
The CBI, in a recently conducted seminar on human trafficking, revealed that religious towns like Benaras are happy hunting grounds for international gangs as well.
"India is being used as source, transit point and destination by global human traffickers," said CBI director Ashwani Kumar at the seminar, organised in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC).
A senior CBI official was more specific. "Benaras and Tirupati are two of the most active destinations for both inter-country and intra-country human trafficking.
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All kind of human trafficking networks child labour, flesh trade and begging rackets are being operated from these cities," said the officer.
"There is a complete list of religious places from where begging and prostitution gangs are operating. Shirdi is one such town in western India where gangs force children and women into begging," he added.
Another senior CBI official said that the investigating body is actively monitoring these religious places to take stock of the situation.
"So far no one knows the exact strength of the trafficking rackets being operated from these cities. It's being run in connivance with international gangs," he said, wishing not to be named.
Unholy facts
NGOs working in Benaras say 500 to 700 girls are brought to the city from Nepal and Bangladesh for prostitution every year.
Between 20,000 and 40,000 people are brought here to work as bonded labourers, while about 1,000 kids are turned into beggars.
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