The Bandh was called off after the Kangpokpi District Comissioner and SP assured the protestors of urgent intervention. The local protestors have given an ultimatum to intensify the stir if the victim is not rescued within 24 Hrs. A Joint Action Committee has been formed to look into the matter.

Such incidents of abduction, harassments, torture, and killings by various underground armed outfits is not strange to the Gorkha community of Manipur.

Nearly three decades back, one Mr. Baale Bhujel of Kalapahar was killed brutally and buried alive. Another member of Santolabari Gram Panchayat, Smt. Maina Tamang was brutally raped, tortured with her breasts pierced with thorns, hands nailed in wooden plank, and eyes gorged out. Similarly, there are many such cases, but most of these go unheard or even unreported due to fear and intimidations.

Recently, one Mr Vigyan Koirala from Kalapahar who had done an RTI regarding NREGS implementation was also threatened by various UG groups to withdraw his RTI. The extent of harassment goes to such extent that poor villagers are forced to pay percentage from the wages earned under Central Government’s like 100-days work under MNREGA.

Such cases of kidnapping, extortions and threats have become an everyday affair for the underground outfits, who create fear psychosis on the society and hamper and developments and take huge percentage from any funds meant for developments. Villages under Kangpokpi District are the worst affected as many times even their lands are forcefully snatched away from them or are compelled to sell their land at throwaway prices.

This is a developing story and we will continue to update the developments as we receive.

The post MANIPUR: Gorkha Man Kidnapping by Suspected Militants Sparks Outrage appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

“We received an input that some illegal immigrants would be coming to Imphal by Indigo flight. Immediately, Foreigner Check Post (FCP) and a team of Imphal West district police were alerted which detained six suspected passengers,” said Themthing Ngashangva, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (Intelligence).

The police team found that the Aadhaar card presented by the six individuals were fake.

It is learnt that three of the six individuals had Manipur as their address on the Aadhaar card while the rest had Hyderabad. One of the detained men could speak Hindi but the rest neither spoke Hindi nor Manipuri, they only understand Urdu, said the police. Subsequently, they (Rohingyas) were taken into custody for proper verification.

Police also recovered an ATM card marked as CB Bank Visa in the name of Hoe Myint Naing of Yangon, Myanmar and a cash memo receipt of Myanmarese like a script.

After thorough interrogation, the immigrants admitted that they were Myanmar nationals (Rohingyas) and revealed their real identities.

They have been identified as Yarzarlin, son of Aung Niwat of Kunblu, Mandalay, Min Min Oo, son of Win Tin of Myeik Myanmar, Soe Ko Ko, son of Kyaw Ko Ko of Myeik Myanmar, Moe Sat Naing, son of Hasi alias Khai Maung Myint of Pyinmanar, Myanmar, Nyi Nyi Soe, son of Uchien of Myeik, Myanmar and Zaw Min Than, son of Tin Than of Yangoon, Myanmar.

The immigrants aged between 20 to 30 were reportedly trained in Madrasas in Delhi and other parts of the countries and their documents including Aadhaar were arranged by some agents including those from Manipur. “It is yet to be established the purpose of their visit, their destination and objective. But we suspect that these immigrants entered the state with the help of some agents who have criminal intent and we are seriously working on to establish the details”, said the DIG Ngashangva.

The DIG further disclosed that they have identified a few possible suspects (agents) who has helped the immigrants and soon will be arrested.

The post Six Rohingya Migrants Arrested at Imphal Airport appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

I do not write this article with pride. In fact, it is shameful that despite having been born and brought up as a Manipuri Gorkha, today I am having to publish an appeal to clarify that I too belong to Manipur. From time immemorial, it is always the majority who create history. We have never read or heard about the story of the minority. Today, I will narrate the story of the minority, the voiceless and the helpless.

Recently, there was a video circulating on social media it showed a lady who was being delivered a mob justice. She was being slapped, hit by a shaft, and ever had her hair chopped in public. Whatever be the reason, that was not the right way to vent dissatisfaction in the wake of such a political crisis. Tomorrow, some other crowd might just want to do the same thing on another individual. Who is going to take the blame then? As a civilized society with such a rich history and culture, a more matured approach would have given dignity to the agitation.

We are accused of encroaching the land. We are accused of being a threat to the social fabric of the state. We are asked to pack up and leave the state. How is it even possible? We are not here staying in a rented house that we pack our belongings and move to another house. My family has not grabbed any land or encroached upon anyone else’s territory. We have papers for our land as per the law of the land. We also grew up listening to our grandmother narrating us stories of the Japanese drones flying above the roof. We have heard stories of our grandfathers fighting to protect the land alongside the British and the maharaja’s army. Are our stories any different from the stories of a Meitei, Naga, or a Kuki kid?

They say that our contribution to the land is zero. Turn any pages of the history of this land and you will find a Gorkha, Major Subedar Niranjan Singh Chhetry amongst the earliest martyrs of the land. He was hanged to death alongside Bir Tikendrajit and General Gambhir Singh by the British on 13th of August 1847.

They must have also conveniently forgotten that we are the most peaceful community in the state. We live happily with all other communities, be it the Meiteis, Nagas or the Kukis. I have studied Meiteilon throughout my childhood, I can speak a bit of Kuki, and I have lived with a Naga friend for about 7 years of my life.

Like you all, we have recited Ougri Sheirent, listened to Khamba-thoibi with awe, enjoyed the colours of Yaoshang, celebrated Lai Haraiba with equal enthusiasm, and cannot live without Ironba, Nga-Thongba and Ooti as our daily staple. What makes me less Manipuri than anybody else from my state? Perhaps we are the only community in Manipur which never had any law and order problem with the state. We don’t have any armed struggle or resistance to any government policies. We have been one of the most hospitable communities both to the armed forces and the rebels. Yes, in the interiors we have stories of people who wake up in the middle of the night to cook and feed rebels who are passing by the village. The same villagers also prepare team when government forces pass by.

Despite all this, we are time and again asked to cite the history of our existence in the state. Below are some historical records of the settlement of Gorkhas in Manipur to put across the point that we are not just land grabbers and that we have taken equal part in the nation-building process in Manipur:

1. On recorded history, the first batch of Gorkhas came to Manipur during the time of Raja Gambhir Singh. In 1824, the Gorkhas of the 16th Sylhet Local Battalion, later to become the 8th Gorkha Rifles, were included in the Police Levy of Gambhir Singh. During the first quarter of the 19th Century, Manipur was much troubled by Burmese intruders and troops. To secure Manipur, Gambhir Singh raised an army in 1825 and recruited Gorkhas from Sylhet for it. The militia was named the ‘Victoria Paltan’. (Source: The Role of Gorkhas in Making of Modern India)
2. Before the beginning of the 20th century, the Gorkha/Nepali Gwalla (cowherd community) was confined in the Manipur valley. And since the Meitei community were not a great consumer of milk and ghee and land was becoming scarce in the valley, the Govt of Manipur decided to shift the Gorkhali/Nepali Gwalla to the northern part of the Manipur Valley creating a Gorkha/Nepali reserve (18 miles long) in between Sekmai and Kangpokpi in 1915 and later on partially extended up to Maram, Siddim Pukhri and lrang Part-I & II (Source: Manipur State Administrative Report 1915-16 Chapter – V, No. 2 Para V. Durbar Resolution 1 dated 17th February 1915).
3. That, the creation of the Sekmai Kangpokpi Gorkha Grazing Reserve the Nepali graziers began to settle within the reserve areas of Kurapokpi, Sapermeina, Shriwani, Keithelmanbi, Paspati, Kalapahar, Santolabari, Chandraman, Kangpokpi, Irang, Maram Siddim Pukhri. In 1918, a survey of the Gorkha/Nepali Reserve area was done wef. 19th June 1918 to 7th January 1920 and Patta was issued for the Gorkha/Nepali graziers who applied for agricultural land.
4. The 1st Assam Rifles was raised in Manipur in 1915 and had over 80% Gorkha personnel.
5. First Manipur Rifles, raised in 1946 also inducted a huge number of Gorkhas. Still today, the family quarters of the battalion has several Gorkha families living there.
6. Even eminent scholars like MK Binodini, the royal family of Manipur confirms that the Gorkhalis have long been a part of Manipur’s cultural milieu. She says “…in fact I do not know at what time so-called Nepali community came to Manipur. Since my childhood beginning from Mantripukhri to Kangpokpi, I have seen their settlement to be in existence long before many years. At the time of my father Maharaja Churachand, when he was in drive on the Dimapur road, I still remember the joyous welcome and applause accorded by the Nepalese children nearby the road and I saw many Nepali personnel in the post of high rank and files of the Manipur State Police” (Source: ‘A Yaipha Paojel’ in a journal called ‘Netee’; published by Manipur Nepali Sahitya Parishad in 2006)
7. When World War II reached till Kanglatongbi-Kangpokpi, the Gorkha community was evicted by the Govt. Many of them left their land temporarily and got back when the war was over. However, the government had by then ceased the Nepali grazing reserve (26th August 1946), giving effect from 1st December 1946. Many who failed to comply with the government order or returned late to their land lost their land and had to seek shelter with their neighbouring tribal brothers for their livelihood.

The Gorkha community is settled for nearly 2 centuries and have lived in an area of 140 sq. miles till 1915. Besides the army settlers, we could rear more than 10,000 cattle and buffaloes. An entire stretch of road named in Jiribam was named as Man Bahadur Limbu’s Road. Today, after almost 2 centuries, our population is not even 1 lakh. How could we possibly disturb the social fabric of the Manipuri society or even snatch away opportunities from the locals?

Today, we are as much a victim of historical circumstances, miscalculation and manipulation as all of you. We too would want to be part of the decision-making process which will segregate the outsiders from the insiders. Sadly, despite being a part of the greater Manipuri society for nearly 200 years, we have been pre-levelled as “outsiders”. Look into your hearts and think for once, how would you react, if you and your community were labelled as such?

Most of the Gorkha youths from Manipur today are working in the defence or the metro cities. This also brings in revenue to the state. How can we possibly exploiting the wealth of Manipur? I would love to know if you have seen anything unjust being committed by any Gorkha in Manipur.

Today, we live outside the state in metro cities. Ask one of your own ‘inside Manipuris’ about how does it feel to be humiliated. If you have no idea of how humiliated your brothers and sisters feel when faced with racism outside the home state, maybe you should go and speak to them. While we outrage over “racism “against our Manipuri people in Delhi and other cities, we have turned a blind eye and deaf ear to numerous instances of racism here in Manipur itself, isn’t that hypocritical?

In this city, we only have people; there is no Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Gorkha, Bengali, Bihari or Marwari. If someone asks me, I proudly call myself Manipuri Gorkha. Here no one accuses anyone of stealing opportunities or ancestral land. No Bihari cries of innocent people being killed, no Meitei accuses a Bihari of depleting his economy. We share rooms to save money, lend and borrow money when we are broke, we share pizzas and drinks together, we contribute for the electricity bills, we wait for each other to walk back home after office, We cook together, we laugh at each other’s jokes, we fall in love, we get married. We live happily here, but we never talk of our problems back home. Why?? Because it divides us.

We are happy out here, but why this indifference back in our own homeland?? I leave this for you to ponder upon.

The post Ask Me How I Feel About Inner Line Permit appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Subedar Niranjan Singh Chhetri led the contingent of Native Gorkhali soldiers for revolutionary Manipuri hero Jubraj Tekendrajit Singh.

When East India Company was taking over different parts of India bit by bit and entered Manipur, the Manipuri hero Jubraj Bir Tekendrajit Singh decided to fight against the British than surrender. Much like Chattrapati Shivaji and Rani Laxmibai, Jubraj Tekendrajit Singh became a martyr in the battlefield.

According to Manipur Who is Who – 1891, published by the Government in 1990, Niranjan Chhetri was sentenced to death on June 8, 1891. He left the British Army to join the native force of Manipur led by Prince Tikendrajit and Thangal General. Niranjan Chhetri was appointed as a Subedar in the native rebel army by the Prince himself.

On this day, the Gorkhalis of India remember, salute and celebrate the brave heart Subedar Niranjan Singh Chettri, who was hanged by the British in 1891 for his role in the “Revolt of Manipur”. His bravery and patriotism was unparalleled, yet his act of patriotism, much like acts of patriotism from the rest of North-East India was lost in pages of history.

His last words – “My birthplace is my Motherland, I am ready to die for this land, and I am ready to kill for this land… but I am not ready to accept surrender and subjugation of my own land”

TheDC team also salutes Shaheed Niranjan Singh Chhetri who was the first Gorkhali martyr in the freedom movement of India.

[We are grateful to Boigram Gorkha Bhandari for this report]

The post Subedar Niranjan Chhetri – 1st Gorkhali Freedom Fighter to die for India appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

In a press statement released by the union, Union President Lok Bahadur Adhikari says “Enthusiastic social workers and Union Advisory Board and intellectuals participated at the event.

Various Manipur based print media and T.V channels came to the spot for covering the event which encouraged the participants and volunteers.

The union is extremely delighted to attract a huge crowd at the premises and also extend our gratitude to all the CSOs, local Club, AMGSU units, women society, and individuals who contributed towards the event.”

Various Gorkha organizations from across the state took part in the program flagged off by the Medical Superintendent, RIMS, Prof. Ch. Arunkumar Singh flag. The program started at 7.00 AM from RIMS main Gate and continued till 11.00 AM. The event was supported by the RIMS Authority, Kanglatongbi Gram Panchayat, members of Nepali Sahitya Parishad Manipur, Nepali Sanskriti Suraksha Parishad Manipur, Manipur Gorkha Welfare Union, and Senapati Gorkha Samaj. The union received support from communities and individuals who helped with equipment, donations, transport, and required assistance.

The president in the release further adds “The act of kindness and love will be always remembered by the AMGSU and will remain as an example for the future. We hope this programme will inspire other associations and unions from various fields to take initiatives in such public awareness programmes in the society. It should be our joint responsibility to maintain hygiene and stay clean in our respective homes and communities. Today was an example that if all the general public of the Manipur join hand in this mission, our state can soon become one of the cleanest states in the country.”

Mention may be made that, Subedar Niranjan Singh Chhetri was hanged to death by the British on 8th June 1891 at the Western Gate of Kangla for protecting the people of Manipur. He was with the native force of Manipur during the time of his martyr.

The Union further appeal the state Government to erect a statue of martyr Niranjan Singh Chhetri at government convenient place.

The post Manipur Gorkha Students clean RIMS Premise on Niranjan Chhetri Death Anniversary appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

A report by EastMojo quotes LH Shanliana, IGP (Intelligence, Law & Order), that the Nepali girls rescued in Mizoram are believed to be heading to Southeast Asian countries via Mizoram for forced prostitution. They were rescued from Aizawl and Champhai near Myanmar border last week. A man named Lal Bahadur, who is now in police custody, is suspected to be involved in trafficking the women.

In another incident, a group of eight Rohingya women were arrested near the Assam border while en route to Aizawl. The women revealed that they were abducted by human traffickers from a refugee camp in Bangladesh and were being sent to Malaysia.

While the rescue is a huge relief for the security forces and the administration, the increasing trend of human trafficking from the remote Northeast states is worrisome. The Northeast region, until now had not featured in the trafficking route. There could have been trafficking even in the past, but the volume and number of cases coming to the ground recently are alarming.

Human trafficking, as is known in the Northeast, involves the disappearance of young people from the region, especially women. Hundreds of young people are taken to bigger Indian cities and other foreign countries where they are exploited sexually and even forced into prostitution. Every year, many trafficked young girls from the region are rescued from other places and brought back home. However, these new reports of human trafficking right at home is a cause of worry for the government and the security forces as well.

In most cases, the trafficking victims are smuggled into India through the porous India-Nepal borders in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Previously, the traffickers would directly take the victims to cities like Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities before flying them out of the country. However, as the security in the airports has become tighter, the traffickers are now opting for land routes, which means taking the victims all the way to states like Manipur and Mizoram from where it becomes easier to cross into Myanmar.

The security along these bordering states has been more concerned about drugs, arms, and illegally smuggled goods from Myanmar into India. It is only recently that cases of human trafficking are being highlighted from these border posts.

Mizoram, sandwiched between Bangladesh and Myanmar, shares more than 700-km long international boundaries and is highly vulnerable to human trafficking and is increasingly being used as safe passage by human traffickers. Moreh town in Manipur is notorious for illegal trades and smuggling, from cheap Chinese products to precious stones, contraband drugs, teak, gold, and arms.

The Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR), an organisation involved in the rescue in Manipur, revealed that more than 300 Nepalese women have crossed into Myanmar from Moreh in recent months. The central committee of the Young Mizo Association (CYMA) reports that as many as 208 girls have been trafficked into Southeast Asian countries via Mizoram in recent years.

With the promise of India’s Act East Policy, the trade and mobility between India and Southeast Asia are bound to increase in the coming years. While the benefits of the economic development clearly outweigh the setbacks caused by such illegal trades, it is important that communities are sensitised about such issues surfacing in the region.

The authorities at the Integrated Checkpost (ICP) must be aware and remain vigilant of any such suspicious movements in the borders. There has to be a system for proper verification of IDs and travel document before people can pass, even for a short leisurely trip. While economic progress is welcome, there has to be a system in place to ensure that the progress does not come at the cost of humanity.

In the Northeast region, with 99% of its boundary being the international border, the problems and peculiarities are even more accentuated. The region is already fighting illegal infiltration which adds pressure on its economic and environmental resources. Moreover, the porous borders enable easy cross border passage for criminals, human traffickers, and smugglers. The region is economically weaker compared to other parts of the country.

Adding to the problem are ethnic violence, armed conflicts and political movements for autonomy that intersect and create an environment that is not conducive for steady employment and economic development. Such instabilities create an environment and a situation where the people, especially women and children, become highly vulnerable to human trafficking. Human trafficking is closely tied to poverty and unemployment, especially when coupled with a lack of social awareness.

In September 2018, Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir said that India’s Northeast has emerged as the hub of human trafficking in India where unemployment, poverty, migration for jobs are some of the reasons of human trafficking. Voicing concern on the human trafficking, the Chief Justice called for collective responsibility of stakeholders, state legal services authority and police to take care of the rights of the children and save them from being exploited.

At this juncture, it is also important that the Gorkha communities living across the Northeast are involved and made aware of the perils of such activities. Wide public awareness needs to be created to ensure that people do not end up collaborating with such heinous criminals, knowingly or unknowingly. While we must congratulate the police, NGOs, and local authorities involved in such rescue operations, it is high time that the communities also shoulder the responsibility of keeping a check on any such suspicious activities in their neighbourhood.

After the Manipur rescue operation, I had published a report, ‘Human Trafficking at Moreh, Manipur: A concern for Northeast India’, that received wide coverage in the regional media. The new cases have only confirmed my deepest fears and it is high time for both the government and civil societies to step up the fight against the growing menace.

The post Alarming cases of Human Trafficking via NE States is Worrisome appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The story soon became viral on Twitter users and was widely circulated across Social Media. As people asked for more information, some offering to help, Mohen followed up the story of Diana with a video post of the athlete.

As the story picked up momentum and perhaps even reached the authorities, Naorem update the conversation with an update that the PRO from the Governor’s office came out to meet Diana at the stall. We hope and pray that the government steps in and provide the necessary support to the athlete. Readers who want to offer help can join the conversation on Twitter to know the updates.

Here is the full story thread from Naorem’s Twitter post.

(1/n) Full story of Diana Ningombam, Please read it. She has been selling fruit salads on the roads near Kangla for the past one week in the struggle to continue her career in sports.Hailing from Sagolband Loukrakpam leikai in Imphal.

(2/n) She is third daughter of Ibungo yaima and Ningombam Nalini. Diana started learning taekwondo from the year 2006 and had taken part in international events. Now she sells fruit salads daily from 4 am 8 am in the morning near the footpath beside the main entrance of Kangla.

(3/n) She wakes up around 3 am in the morning for making preparations for her small business of selling the items.  She continues her practice session from 4 pm to 7 pm in the evening at Langjing Achouba Makha leikai in Imphal.

(4/n) She is preparing for an upcoming tournament which will be held in Hongkong. She informed that she does not want to give extra burden to her father who works as a printing machine mechanic and not very healthy and her mother who works at bazaar in trying make ends meet.

(5/n) She said that there are times when her parents could not meet expenditure for her diet and other essentials. By selling fruit salads on the roadside, she also wants to spread message of self-employment to youths of the state instead of solely depending on their families.

(6/n)Diana said, “When I first stepped into sports, we required money to buy only sports tracksuits but players now have to manage their own transportation fees which is really hard for players belonging from poor family backgrounds.”

The post International Taekwondo Player Sells Fruit Salad to Raise Funds appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Speaking to ANI, Sony said: “There are lots of beautiful things about the north-east region. I want to show this to the world. North-east has always been considered by the mainland as wild, savage, underdeveloped, saying words like, ‘they eat dog’. I feel people have a very wrong concept about this region. I want people to explore and be more open-minded and see its beauty. Only when you observe closely will you see the beauty of the wild grasses. Through my painting, I want to show the culture and biodiversity of the region. Everybody is following western culture. But what is really important is your identity.”

Like any other parent, his parents too wanted him to become an engineer or doctor. With a very few recognised personalities in the field of art in Manipur, for him, it was hard to convince his parents. Sony, however, moved to Delhi in 2007 to pursue fine arts. The colourful vibes, vibrant culture, and myriad ethnicity of the metropolitan cities, especially Delhi, fascinated him. Sony’s artistic style done in a contemporary fashion adheres to the traditional.

He started off as a faculty member at Jamia Millia Islamia, and started painting professionally in 2015. Along with his friend Laishram Meena Devi, he recently held an exhibition titled ‘Khongool’ meaning ‘footsteps’ at Gallery ONKAF in New Delhi.

Director of Gallery ONKAF, Sharad Chauhan told ANI: “We are exhibiting two artists from Manipur. This is about the journey from Manipur to Delhi, called Khongool. Both the painters depict the culture, festive moods, and the jewelry from their state. So, they show both the Delhi and Manipur culture.”

One of his paintings, framed ‘Black Tea’ tells the story of two women having a tea break wearing the traditional ‘phenek’ or ‘mekhela’ paired with North-Indian accessories. The painting portrays two girls, one with rigid curls, and the other with a straight traditional Manipuri haircut in seemingly complicated attire. One can also see the richness of green colour, wildflowers, and cultural ethnicity.

In his paintings, one can also see the wild grass, ginger lilies, dragonflies, golden tortoise beetles, among others. He also uses geometrical designs and tattoos as he believes that everything in nature is calculated. In Sony’s ‘Little Indian Ballerinas’, three little girls dance across the canvas in tutus with traditional Manipuri pattern. And in ‘Shoot Love, Not Bullets’, a woman totes a gun that isn’t shooting bullets but a shower of wildflowers.

“Sony has given a lot of preference to colourful fabrics and textiles which is very peculiar in the north-east. His works are a very good personification of the wilderness of the hills, jungles, and nature of the Northeast,” said Satya, an art director from Darjeeling, a visitor at the gallery ONKAF.

The post Mystic Beauty of North-East Captured on Canvas appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The rescue operations in Manipur is significant not because of the number of people rescued, but because it unravelled new routes for human trafficking along the India-Myanmar border, via Moreh.

Moreh town in Manipur is a bustling commercial town bordering India and Myanmar and known for its cheap Chinese products and electronic items. As a border town, Moreh is gradually turning into a hub for illegal trades and smuggling – from cheap Chinese products to precious stones, contraband drugs, teak, gold, and arms.

The rescue mission had started after Maiti Nepal, a Nepali non-government organisation working against human trafficking, informed the Impulse NGO Network, which is based in Shillong, Meghalaya and works to control human trafficking in the region, that 70 girls trafficked from Nepal were on their way to Myanmar via the Moreh-Manipur international border. 

On January 30, three Nepali girls rescued in Delhi by the Delhi Women’s Commission (DCW) had informed that a large number of Nepali girls were travelling towards North East to cross the border into Myanmar. From Myanmar, they would be taken to different South Asian cities before flying to Iraq, Kuwait, and other Middle-Eastern countries illegally. According to a statement by DCW, the rescued girls in Delhi had neither passports nor tickets with them and were guided over the phone using IMO mobile app.

As revealed by an arrested trafficker, Asha Kali Tamang hailing from Nepal, the girls were sent by a certain Rajiv Sharma from Sunauli, the India-Nepal border town in Uttar Pradesh. After crossing to Myanmar via Moreh, the people were being smuggled to Iraq, Dubai, and other Middle Eastern countries.

What is clear after the operation is that, the trafficked people were to be crossed borders into Myanmar, then flown to Dubai, and from there to various other Gulf countries. What is not clear to the police and anti-trafficking units is why such large a number of people travelled through this route.

Until now, Human Trafficking had not made it to the list of illicit trade activities in Moreh. But this rescue sheds a spotlight on trafficking routes which had remained hidden till date. Maiti Nepal, internationally renowned NGO on human trafficking, in its communication, states that “with this rescue operation, newer route of human trafficking has been unravelled. This is a fresh manifestation of human trafficking.” 

In a normal trail, traffickers would bring the girls from Nepal through the porous borders in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, and move them towards Delhi, Mumbai, and other Indian cities. The trafficked people are then sent out to their destination countries in the Middle East and other foreign countries by air. But the route was different this time.

The Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR), another organization involved in the rescue revealed that a total of 310 Nepalese women have crossed into Myanmar from Moreh from December 2018 until January.

Nepali girls have long been trafficked into other countries via India, which has over the years worked as a transit point. To curb this, the Government of Nepal, a few years ago, had made it mandatory for every Nepali citizen flying abroad from India to gain a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the Delhi-based Nepali embassy. The traffickers, on the other hand, seem to have devised their own mechanism to counter government move. The traffickers are now increasingly opting for land routes, as it has become difficult for traffickers to use air route.

With an increase in trade and mobility between India and South-East Asia through Moreh Integrated Checkpost (ICP), coupled by the promises of India’s Act East Policy, movement and trade activities are only set to increase manifold in the future. Montu Ahanthem, convenor of the MACR reveals that the North Eastern region along the Indo-Myanmar route is increasingly becoming a gateway to human trafficking. The government must take serious note of the issue and create provisions to curtail them.

Besides the Government and NGOs involved in the rescue, it is important that the communities are sensitized about such grave issues surfacing in the region. All the communities, particularly the Gorkhas living across the northeast must be made aware of the issue and make sure that the people do not end up collaborating with such heinous criminals, knowingly or unknowingly. While we must congratulate the Manipur Police and NGOs involved for their successful rescue operation, it is the community that must shoulder the responsibility of keeping a check on any such suspicious activities in their neighbourhood.

The post Human Trafficking along Indo-Myanmar Border: A concern for North East appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Chairman of Maiti Nepal, Bishwa Ram Khadka, told the press that “Manipur police rescued 107 women in coordination with Impulse NGO Network after the Maiti Nepal provided the information that they were being trafficked in the wee hours on February 1.” All the rescued are currently under police custody in Manipur and have been transferred to a shelter home pending further action. 

As per sources, the Moreh border is increasingly being used by traffickers to move girls from Nepal to Myanmar via India. From Myanmar, the rescued batch of 107 were reportedly being taken to Iraq. Most of these girls are reportedly between 19 to 31 years of age.

On January 30, the Delhi Commission for Women had rescued six Nepalese girls who were brought to India from Nepal. The girls are presently under the custody of the Delhi police and their statements have been recorded at the Bhalswa Dairy station .

East Mojo has quoted, Jogesh Chandra, SP, Imphal West, “It is difficult to give you the exact number of victims and traffickers arrested because the operation is still on. We have been receiving information from our intelligence network, and we cannot divulge any further details. We are currently working to bust the network of traffickers responsible for this.”

Meanwhile, 33 more girls have been rescued from the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal and another 21 from the border town of Moreh on Saturday. This takes the total number of girls rescued to 161, said sources.

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