Young Migrant Women Were Restrained From Going Home
This news put NGOs, government, and volunteers to work.
On May 22nd, I sent a WhatsApp message to my friends asking if they knew any migrants who needed help either with rations, food, or travel. As we were coordinating this effort across many cities in India through the “Loving your migrant worker” WhatsApp groups.
On the same day, I got a message from my friend Sony who lives in Bangalore asking if we could help 22 migrant tribal women from Orissa who were stuck at a garment factory in Doddaballapur, 40 km from Bangalore city.
Sony received a video of these women pleading for help to go back home. Since she speaks Odia and is from the same district in Orissa as these women, she could connect and talk to them over the phone and understand their condition. This looked like a forced labor case. They were not allowed leaves, forced to work twelve hours even when they were sick, not allowed to go out of the compound. During the lockdown period, they were not provided enough food and water.
The average age of these women was twenty years. They were trained and recruited in Orissa under the Skill India scheme and brought to Bangalore just a month before the lockdown began. They are first-generation migrants. They have never been out of their villages before. Due to lack of jobs locally and financial burdens they landed here. They were asked to sign documents without understanding it. So, they never knew what they were getting into.
The rising number of COVID-19 cases and their oppressive employer in a new place made them fearful and anxious. They desperately wanted to go home. In this panic situation, they made a few distress calls to Orissa. They acted courageously and made a video seeking intervention from the Orissa government. This video caught the attention of many. A few journalists in Orissa even got their story out. But nothing much happened after that.
On May 23rd, I posted this video in our group, asking if we could reach out to them. A friend’s friend, who is a pastor in Doddaballapur, paid a visit that evening to understand their condition. He met the women briefly, but later the factory owners did not permit him.
On the same day, Diya Ghar, another NGO from our group, reached out to Sony and the women. Sony tried to convince the women to stay back and that we will provide rations or any help needed. It became clear that they want to go home.
Understanding the nature of the problem, Diya Ghar asked Anitha, and her team from The Freedom Project India (TFPI) to intervene. Since TFPI needed their information, Sony, on the same day, gathered all the women’s necessary information to take this forward legally.
Meanwhile, the International Justice Mission (IJM) has been following this case since May 25th after hearing about it on Outlook. Knowing this, Anitha on May 27th, shared all the information with IJM to take this forward.
At this point, the women became very anxious. They weren’t sure who is really helping them and whom to trust. Sony was in touch with them over the phone, providing moral support. But then suddenly, on May 28th, their phones weren’t reachable. This really made us worry. For a couple of days, there was no progress. But thankfully, it seems to be a technical problem. They got connected again on May 30th.
In the meanwhile, on May 28th IJM got in touch with Sony to understand the case better. This case was brought to the notice of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Bangalore Rural district for immediate intervention. On June 1st, District Administration, Police, and Labour department officials visited the site and conducted the inquiry.
Thankfully all of them did an excellent job in rescuing the women. Since the government has given permission to all the migrants to go to their villages, the employer could not stop them anymore. Whoever wanted to go to their homes were asked to provide their names.
“Best journey takes us home. This was indeed their best journey; these women are literally going home,”
Now the surprising thing is, they weren’t just 22 girls. They were actually 199 girls. Out of which 150 wanted to return home. The rest choose to stay back.
It was June 2nd, the police helped them with medical screening, registration for the train and arranged transport. They waited until they packed their belongings and boarded the bus that took them to Bangalore railway station. The woman said, “The police really helped us in all this process.”
After the government took over the case, none of us knew what was happening until the women were headed to Bangalore City.
That evening Mary Prathima, who was coordinating this case from IJM, hurried to the railway station to meet these women. All the women were filled with joy and gratitude. Mary had to pick up one woman who was falling at her feet to thank her. Another woman said to Mary, “I will not come back again.”
“I never imagined this could happen in just 12 days.”
As soon as Sony heard that they are on the way to the railway station, she immediately messaged me. She was surprised, “I never imagined this could happen in just 12 days.” she said.
The railway authorities were moved by hearing this story. “Loving the migrant worker” volunteers who were daily volunteering at the station gave them food packets and other goodies as they boarded the train.
“Best journey takes us home. This was indeed their best journey; these women are literally going home,” said Mary.
As per the government, they were required to undergo a seven-day quarantine. The leader among these women, Basanthi, called Mary after reaching her station. Though she cannot meet anyone until the quarantine is over, she said that she saw her father and brother from a distance and waved at them.
What a delight to hear this. I truly believe God heard their cry and come to rescue them. He mobilized many people from different walks of life to work together for their release quickly. It is truly a joy to see these young women united with their families again.
May we respond to such cries every day before us, so that through us, God may save many in need.
Follow “Loving the Migrant Worker” blog for more such stories.
Loving the Migrant Worker is a network of volunteers and NGOs across over 50 cities in India serving daily wagers and migrant workers who are on the move.
