In a joint operation, Mangalore Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Mysore-based NGO Odanadi have rescued five female child labourers from different houses in and around the City on Wednesday. The organisations have suspected that at least 15 more such cases can be unearthed in Mangalore.
The rescued have been identified as Rathna, Geetha, Mangala, Parvathi and Sudha, all are below 15 years, belonging to H D Kote taluk of Mysore district. The children are from tribal communities of different ‘hadis’ in the taluk.
“The children were supplied by one Cheluvamma of H D Kote, a broker of child labourers, without the consent of their parents. Though she received a particular amount from each house owner, the money neither reached the parents nor the children,” Odanadi Director Parashuram told Deccan Herald.
“Cheluvamma had been detained by Mysore police twice earlier in similar cases, and she had been imprisoned also. However, once she is released, she starts continuing her child trafficking business,” he said. Cheluvamma was present during the operation, who herself identified the houses, to where she supplied the children with the help of one Aboobakkar from Vittal.
Out of the five children, two were rescued on Wednesday, while the 3 had been identified about four days before. “Mangala, Parvathi and Sudha had ran away from the houses where they were doing domestic chores, and complained to their parents in H D Kote. The parents who had already filed ‘missing’ complaints, contacted the police and Odanadi,” Mr Parashuram recalled.
Mangalore CWC members Renny D’Souza and Geo D’Silva said the CWC will take a decision regarding the rescued children, on the basis of which the girls will be handed over to their parents.
During the raid, the members of the houses (one near Mangaladevi, another in Bondel) claimed that the children had joined the houses voluntarily. However, the CWC members said the house owners had never taken the consent of the CWC regarding keeping the children in their home and looking after their education.
