Mental health of trafficked survivors matters!

Varalika Mishra

Pallabi Ghosh says, “Mental health is critical as girls and women are constantly stigmatized, their family don’t even understand the trauma they went through, and there are severe consequences.” Born and raised in Lumding, Assam, Ghosh has rescued over more than 7,000 girls and boys from trafficking. According to her, trafficking greatly impacts the individual’s mental health. She has rescued hundreds of women and children from child marriage, forced marriage, child labour and prostitution. “Trafficking is a heinous crime. Most people get lured into it for a job, marriage, or love. They are innocent people who do not realise the consequences of what they are getting into. They come from vulnerable areas of remote India. My work focuses on post-rescue rehabilitation, where we counsel trafficking survivors and monitor them constantly for behavioural issues. Every 15 days, I analyze their physical, social, and psychological status and gradually reduce the frequency once we see healing. Just rescue doesn’t ensure recovery,” she adds.

According to reports, most girls die by suicide due to the discrimination they face after being rescued. According to Pallabi, the real work starts post-rescue as that is when a supportive environment needs to be provided to the survivors for holistic development, and it is not an easy job to implement. Pallabi is the founder of Impact and Dialogue Foundation which helps in implementing various workshops for the survivors and in sensitizing the system about trafficking.

Impact and Dialogue Foundation provides destigmatization workshops for the members of the system, like families, social welfare officers, police, and other stakeholders, ensuring that they look at the survivor with dignity. It is crucial to realize that survivors are not responsible for getting trafficked in society. “I need much assistance in making people understand that trafficked survivors must heal and reliving the stories repeatedly through different types of questioning by the media and courts further aggravates their pain,” says Ghosh.
Impact and Dialogue Foundation creating a difference

“Our work is creating a difference. We have girls coming up sharing their stories, being a part of the policy and decision-making process, are a part of our stitching centres, along with kitchen gardens and self-help groups. They earn some money which gives them empowerment. We conduct vocational training and arrange for the survivors to learn computer skills and English-speaking courses to build their confidence further. We drive various workshops to help them get skilled and represent themselves in society,” adds Pallabi. With Impact & Dialogue Foundation, she aims to create awareness about trafficking of all forms. Contact +91-9811737441, Email- impactdialoguefoundation@gmail.com for any assistance.

AIM against gambling in melas

The Awakening Indian Movement (AIM) has sought the intervention of the deputy commissioner of East Khasi Hills district to ensure a blanket ban on gambling at melas being organized by different agencies.

Speaking to media persons, chairman of AIM Bansharai Marbaniang said that many people from other part of the country come to Meghalaya to host various kinds of melas, however these melas have games that encourage gambling with money which is detrimental and have a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

Marbaniang alleged that melas throughout the country are being held in order to provide entertainment to all citizens where they can experience happiness especially for children, students, and youth but at present melas in Meghalaya are being held with gambling which have detrimental and a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

“During our visit to the mela held at the Parking Lot outside Polo Ground in Shillong, the mela hosted various gambling activities with money and young people and students in uniform participated in various gambling games” said Marbaniang.

Marbaniang said that AIM is not against organizing melas in the state, however it stands against the act of gambling that is being held at the venues hence the AIM sought the intervention into this matter.

NPP in talks with PDF MLAs over merger

National People’s Party (NPP) National President and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma have informed that discussions with the two legislators of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) for merging with the party are on.

“Discussions will take place but as I said there is no final conclusion or anything yet. Therefore, we will wait and see when the time comes,” Sangma told reporters today.

Currently, the PDF has two MLAs – Banteidor Lyngdoh and Gavin M Mylliem- in the assembly.

If the proposed merger takes place, the strength of the National People’s Party will increase to 28 in the current 59-member House.

Earlier, Lyngdoh, who is also PDF working president had said, “Talks are on to merge with the NPP. We will take a call at the right time.”

Talks are on to merge the People’s Democratic Front, an ally of the ruling coalition in Meghalaya, with the NPP ahead of the May 10 poll to Sohiong assembly seat where election was adjourned in February, a PDF leader said on Thursday.

When asked, Lyngdoh said he cannot say anything further as decisions will not be taken by him alone.

State govt failed to check illegal activities: HC

The Meghalaya High Court today said the failure to check overloaded vehicles points to the state government being a party to the illegal mining and transportation of coal in flagrant disregard of orders passed by the Supreme Court.

Hearing a PIL, the division bench said, “There are several other matters pertaining to the illegal transportation of coal, the failure on the part of the State government to check overloaded vehicles and the like: all of which point to the State government being a party to the illegal mining and transportation of the coal in flagrant disregard of orders passed by the Supreme Court, no less.”

The PIL was filed by one Champer M. Sangma.

It said that the malaise has not been arrested and it has prompted the Court, in the suo motu proceedings, to ascertain whether some Central Armed Police Forces may be engaged to undertake the checking activities.

“There may not be any illegal mining if there is no transportation of such coal and illegal transportation can be checked by police on roads and easily arrested if there was the right intent on the part of the State,” the Court said.

The Court said it appears that several persons have sought to take advantage of the fact that the previously illegally mined coal had been dumped in many places with directions issued by the Supreme Court for its disposal.

It added that until orders were made in the suo motu proceedings instituted in the year 2022, the State had taken no steps to ensure that the previously illegally mined coal till the year 2016 was disposed of.

As a result, fresh coal continued to be illegally mined and dumped in open public view with the State claiming that such coal may have been a part of the previously illegally mined coal.

Mining operations continued in open view and maybe still continue with the State ignoring orders of this Court and orders already in place from the year 2016.

The Court said though the previously illegally mined coal has now been directed to be sold through auction and in the presence of Coal India Limited by a retired Judge appointed for such purpose by this Court, the quantum of coal available appears to be much more than available in 2016.

Further, the Court said that a new method appears to have been put in place where a lot of coal is exported through Gasuapara with such coal being apparently obtained from outside the State.

The object of the exercise in the present petition is to demonstrate that most of the coal recently exported through the Gasuapara LCS has only been coal that has been illegally mined in the State with forged documents showing that such coal has been brought in from elsewhere.

The petitioner claimed that respondent No.14 has no document to show the origin of the coal that was in its possession in April, 2021 when it sought permission to export the same through the Gasuapara LCS.

Directions issued by the Court for respondent No.14 to file its affidavit in such regard has resulted in the documents of Bittu Coal Traders and Vaishno Devi Traders Private Limited being relied upon, despite it being obvious that Bittu Coal Traders, Vaishno Devi Traders Private Limited and Jaimaa Coal Private Limited are, in effect, one and the same entity as they are controlled by the same human agency.

The petitioner complained that queries raised with the State Departments under the said Act of 2005 have fallen on deaf ears despite appeals being carried. The circumstances are such that an adverse reference may rightly be drawn by the Court that the State is averse to the truth coming out and has sought to filibuster the attempt by the petitioner to demonstrate that most of the coal exported through the Gasuapara LCS has been the illegally mined coal in the State and not coal emanating from outside the State.

Additional Advocate-General appearing for the State submitted that as far as the State is concerned, it only looks at an e-way bill or invoice which is produced by the would-be exporter to indicate the source from which the would-be exporter obtained the coal.

According to the State, it has no duty at all to ascertain the origin of the coal once an apparent valid invoice is presented.

The Court said, “In the light of repeated orders of this Court to the effect that Supreme Court orders were being violated by the State not arresting the illegal mining of coal, the State ought to have been more alive to the fact that internally mined coal may be attempted to be exported by seeking to claim that such coal had been obtained from elsewhere. However, if the State itself is involved in the process, which appears to be the more likely scenario, then the State would hide behind the specious excuse now proffered that it allows transaction by looking at the documents produced without seeking to ascertain the veracity thereof.”

“On the other hand, the State of Assam has expressed its doubts as to the genuineness of the business conducted by respondent No.14 and, whatever steps may or may not have been taken pursuant thereto, at least a nominal FIR has been lodged.

Not even so much appears to have been done by the State of Meghalaya in the matter of arresting the illegal mining of coal in the State,” the court said.