Young girls were sold and bought, and women were raped in rural Rajasthan for repaying debts.
(Source: HindustanTimes)
NHRC Notice: Rajasthan Girls sold and bought to pay debts in rural areas, National Human Right Commission (NHRC) sends a notice, over various reports on the “Auctioning of Girls” from distinct parts of Rural Rajasthan.
Repaying debts: Slave Market in Rural Rajasthan?
Young girls in Rajasthan are being sold and bought in name of repaying the debt owed to rural residents. In rural areas in India, many people must take loans from loan sharks and private sources for the sole purpose of surviving and when they are unable to pay the debt, they are bound to sell their women to repay the debt.
Local Media reports and sources said, “More than half a dozen districts around Bhilwara use this method to repay debt, if a family cannot the debt, the creditor complains to Caste Panchayat or Caste Council. And then a verdict is passed that to pay the debt, a family must sell one of their female members and in some cases more than one depending on the amount. So that the creditor can function as a pimp for the women and get their money back.”
In many cases, when a family decides to not sell one of their own then, on the diktats by Caste Panchayat, their women are raped to settle the debts.”
Various Cases of Young girls sold and Mothers Raped
Minister Pratap Khachariyawas broke his silence on such accusations by NHRC but there are several cases found, among some of the many cases most cruel and recent are: –
- A man with a debt of ₹1.5 Million rupees sold his sister and later to repay the remaining debt was again forced to sell his daughter.
- A man borrowed an amount of ₹600,000 for his ill wife’s treatment. Who later died in the hospital despite the efforts. Later, when he was asked to repay the debt and was unable to do so, Caste Panchayat compelled him to sell his young daughter to the creditor, who later pimped her and then sold her to a pimp in Agra, where he sold her 3 more times and during the process, she got pregnant 4 four times.
National Human Rights Commission on the Slavery: Rajasthan Breaks Silence
Responding to the news of girls being sold and bought in Rural Rajasthan, the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) sends a notice to the state, on the “Auctioning of Young Girls” from distinct parts of Rural Rajasthan.
On Friday, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas broke his silence on selling and buying girls in Rajasthan. He said, “Selling of girls doesn’t happen in the state and it is a matter of investigation. We can’t know the truth until there is some evidence to support the accusation. NHRC should have spoken about the matter to Rajasthan Police first.”
Later, NHRC issued a notice saying, “Girls as young as 8 years old to barely legal 17 and 18 are being sold and bought on a stamp paper in more than few dozens of districts in Rajasthan and if girls aren’t sold their mothers or older women are being raped on Diktats by Caste Panchayat.”
NHRC official in an interview mentioned, “These girls and women are being sent to UP, MP, Delhi, Bengaluru and many other major states and even foreign countries. A notice has been sent to Rajasthan DGP to submit a detailed report within 4 weeks.”
According to sources, NHRC has taken Suo Motu Cognizance (Article 32 and Article 226 of the Indian Constitution warrants, that the Supreme or High Court of any state can take by their notice without any petition or complaint filed or without any interest being bought to them.)
Rajasthan Police and Government on the matter
The Rajasthan Police Chief also received a notice for a detailed report on the prosecution of perpetrators and sympathizers. NHRC has also asked for detailed reports on various cases, FIRs, arrests and steps taken against such crimes.
NHRC also requested the Police DGP to act against the public servants who willingly or unwillingly didn’t take any action against these crimes.
The Chief Secretary of Rajasthan is also being asked to submit a report on how the state government in ensuring the function of Gram Panchayat, as per the constitutional provisions or Panchayati raj law to eradicate the caste system infringing human rights and dignity of girls and women in the state.
Police are also said to escort a special rapporteur, Umesh Sharma to visit and inspect the so-called affected areas in Rural areas of Rajasthan, where he will draft a report on incidents and investigate if there are any practices there, within the next three months.
(With inputs from Multiple Media Outlets)
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