Every time a bus comes at the
police check post in Khairidhunga, Himal Shrestha boards the bus and takes a
minute to return. If he sees suspicious individual, he politely asks them to
come down for a minute.
Some travelers look with
suspicion and query why a passenger should get out. Himal takes some time to
elaborate why. His work is both appreciated and dismissed by onlookers. The bus
driver himself says okay but tells him to do it quick.
After the earthquake, Nepal
government, along with various organizations warned with many being people
being internally displaced, trafficking could be on rise. As a result, security
bar has been raised.
Himal Shrestha and Rolina Tamang
have been working to curb trafficking for the past 15 days at Khairedhunga
Police Check Post. Both take turn to check for suspected individuals,
especially children and girls.
That was how Rohit Tamang (name
changed), around 10 years old, was saved. Rohit had boarded a bus to Kathmandu
without his parent's consent, to work in a hotel. At Khairedhunga, he was
stopped, queried, and then returned back to his parents.
In the last two weeks, Himal and
Rolina have been able to save five females from being trafficked.
In another incident, "two Tamang
girls of around 18 from a nearby village said they were going to visit their
uncle's place in Kathmandu. When we inquired the name of the uncle and the
place they would go in Kathmandu, they were confused. Moreover, their uncle's surname
was different from their own," Rolina said. When we asked the uncle's
number, they gave it to us and when we called the phone and inquired, the man cut
the line and since then has disappeared" Himal said. Having reported to
the police, the man and his whereabouts is under investigation.
Rolina and Himal shared that all
of those who were rescued were travelling alone and were scheduled to meet
somebody on the other side. "When we interrogate a suspect, they generally
tend to blabber, get irritated, panic and tend to hide themselves. They act
abnormally," Himal said.
POLICE SUPPORT
Both Rolina and Himal shared that
the police has helped a lot in inquiring and halting vehicles. Surendra Singh,
Assistant Sub inspector at the Check Post said that they had always felt the need
of such help desks. "We always felt the need for such work," Surendra
Singh said adding that he greatly appreciated what Rolina and Himal were doing.
RESOURCE
Without resources, Rolina and
Himal are currently operating from the police check post. Every time they bring
a suspected individual, they escort them to the police check post and start to
inquire. Such act has cast suspicious eyes amidst the onlookers.
"A lot of people here know
each other," Himal said, adding that social prestige had come into play
many times. Moreover, both the sub-inspector and Rolina believed that people
seldom became open when queried inside a police post, no matter how small it
was.
"Once, one of our suspects
turned to be wrong. Because we had dropped her from bus and waited for her
parents to come so that we could hand her over, she was nervous. She happened
to know many of the locals and there were many onlookers too," Rolina
said.
"When her parents came and
we handed her over, the girl, although pleased by the attempt said that they
could have chosen other destinations instead of a police post," Rolina
narrated.
Without their own office, the two
have been operating in the police post itself. "If only we had two tents,
we could use one as a store and an office and another one as shelter during
winter and monsoon. This also would have helped people to open up and
confide," Himal said.
Moreover, both Rolina and Himal
expressed that while they were doing their best (even when they do not have
necessary trainings), had they had two more people, awareness in wards, VDCs,
schools and health posts would have been in the pipeline.
AWARENESS
Khairidhunga is predominantly a
Newari settlement. Surendra Singh, deployed in the post after two years in Jiri
and Satdobato (Dolakha) opined that the level of awareness in terms of
trafficking was nominal.
"More often than not,
people, here, become dismissive," Surendra Singh said.
Dipak Shrestha, 22 is a farmer by
profession. He has a son. When SCI queried if he along with his family was
aware about trafficking, he said yes. However, when we asked if he bought out
the topic and urged female family members to be alert of any stranger, he was
reluctant. "We talk once in a while," Dipak said. "But we know
everyone here so we don't need to worry much of trafficking," Dipak said.
The assistant sub inspector
suggested that by incorporating media and creating awareness generating
campaigns, the level of awareness would increase. "We also need to help
people to stop being dismissive," Surendra said.
APPRECIATION
While many have criticized the
security check, a lot have actually appreciated it. To Himal and Rolina, the
pat on their back is a gratifying experience. "We really feel special and
proud of what we do," both echoed. The experience is even greater to
Rolina. "Being a woman and helping a woman is really heart touching,"
Rolina said, adding that she has been able to pride over what she's been doing.
