A visitor to Odisha’s Lulkidihi village in Sundargarh district will receive welcome messages from BSNL for Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. Before the implementation of the one-nation-one-number plan in 2015, Victor Minz, now 60, frequently crossed state borders from his village to access more affordable rates and better phone networks while trying to contact his missing daughter, Rati (name changed), who left for New Delhi at the age of 16 to work as a domestic helper. Two decades later, Minz remains uncertain about her fate, with police complaints yielding no results.
The National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) Crime in India 2022 report indicates that Odisha had the highest number of individuals trafficked in the country, with 1,120 cases reported. However, the state also had the most individuals rescued, totaling 1,816. As of December 2022, there were 7,565 children under the age of 18 still classified as missing. Odisha ranked sixth nationally regarding missing persons, with 41,759 individuals unaccounted for.
In Lulkidihi, numerous daughters have gone missing, leaving families in despair. Some maintain contact with their children, partly due to improved mobile networks, thereby avoiding becoming statistics. Many residents are from tribal communities and communicate using a mix of Odia, Hindi, Sadri, and Chhattisgarhi. Local youths report that routes to metro cities are often planned ahead of time, especially as girls approach their Class X examinations.
Lulkidihi falls under the Balisankara block. According to local residents, over 300 girls have left the area for employment in metropolitan cities, often under duress, but sometimes out of personal choice. Arun Kumar Sahoo, a concerned local, noted, “Teenage girls often come into contact with suspicious agencies; some relatives turn out to be agents too.”
Gadhatoli, an area in Lulkidihi, consists of 30 families, with a recent survey indicating that 10 girls sought domestic work in Mumbai and New Delhi. A lack of local employment options drives these girls to seek jobs elsewhere. Rasmita Kujur, a mother of three daughters, shared that after completing their schooling, they managed to secure domestic positions, with the oldest daughter obtaining her job through an agency. Anticipation fills the household as they plan to return home for Christmas, a tradition celebrated by many in the predominantly Christian community.
In contrast, for Nuas and Blasos Lakra from the neighboring Bondega panchayat, Christmas is a time of sorrow. Mr. Lakra expressed his distress over his sister Mary (name changed), who disappeared in New Delhi after leaving home with a villager at the age of 13. “There was no mobile phone then. I could not get in touch with my sister. Despite our tireless efforts, and with regular follow-ups with the police, we do not know where she is,” he lamented.
For Blasos Lakra, the anguish has persisted for 16 years following the disappearance of his eldest daughter shortly after she arrived in Mumbai. “I searched Dadar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, but I never found her,” he mourned. The Sundargarh district police reported only three missing cases of girls in 2021, with one case filed in 2022. This is a stark contrast to a survey conducted by the NGO Pragati in 70 villages across 11 blocks in Sundargarh 14 years ago, which revealed that 44,707 girls had migrated for employment, primarily as domestic helpers, with over 13,000 still untraceable.
While government initiatives such as subsidized rice and other welfare measures have somewhat mitigated this trend, the exodus continues as girls pursue domestic work in cities without adequate protections. A senior police officer highlighted the existence of organized networks operating in the district, targeting young women in need of work and luring them with attractive salary offers. Girls typically earn ₹8,000 to 10,000 per month and often save for their weddings. The district police have implemented campaigns encouraging individuals to register with district labor offices before seeking work outside the area.
Published – December 09, 2023 10:17 PM IST
