I grew up listening to my parents warn me that the heart above all is deceitful. I have seen the devastation of a broken heart in the life of many. What I have seen more in the last 12 years is the devastation of the heart of vulnerable girls (socially, economically and politically marginalized). Some of you may remember the young girl who during the COVID lockdown, went on a motorcycle from Kolkata to Pune in the pursuit of true love only to be sold into sex slavery.
A few weeks ago, we rescued a young girl from a neighbouring country. She trusted a young man and left home. Her story was a similar narrative of many stories, she was brought across the border by the boyfriend and “married off” to his cousin. The cousin raped her, abused her and then sold her. When she was finally found (2 years later) and rescued, she had delivered and was raising her little girl. At her rescue, she shared her story in detail and named the people involved in her trafficking. We marvelled and celebrated her boldness. Sadly, her boldness did her no good. It just got her booked as an accused under the Foreigner’s Act rather than a victim under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, an act that penalized trafficking.
We are moving the justice department for her justice. A young girl, from a poor family now in an alien country – socially, economically and politically vulnerable, now devastated because she followed her vulnerable heart.
Another young girl who was rescued a year ago – vulnerable already owing to her socio-political status, followed her heart and found herself “SOLD”. On her rescue she was bold, stood by her statement and testified against the perpetrators whenever their bail application came up for hearing, recognizing the injustice done to her. On her release to her family (much against our recommendation to the state), she was married to a man who abandoned her. Now back with her family, she is faced with constant haranguing by the mother of the boyfriend who sold her. She seems to be giving into pressure. Her heart not just once in her love life but also in her married life leaves her more vulnerable.
How do we overcome this vulnerability? Do we keep our hearts closed? That is surely not the solution. It will only make us insensitive, selfish and hard-hearted. We learn to use our hearts and our heads. We need to be aware of what is going on around us. We need to learn to discern what is good and what is not. We need to recognize our weaknesses and seek counsel from those who are strong in our weak areas so we can stay protected.
Vulnerability in society does not end there. It still requires us to do all the above for those around us who are vulnerable. We need to be there for them in their times of need. We need to look out for them and be that counsel. We need to show them what is going on around them. We need to be the help they need. Yes, there are organizations like us. However our reach is miniscule in comparison to the need. Imagine all our hands coming together to form a circle of protection around vulnerable girls. It will be that village that makes a child grow into a citizen.
Join the larger civil society in any way you can to form that hedge of protection for girls and keep their vulnerable hearts safe.
Catherine Raja, National Director, Freedom Firm
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