KATHMANDU, Sept 24: Two teenage girls who had fallen victim to human trafficking and were sold in India have been successfully rescued, with the proactive efforts of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Minister Surendraraj Acharya.
Minister Acharya extended a warm welcome to the rescued girls at his residence in Pulchowk, expressing his satisfaction at their safe return. He recounted the collaborative efforts that led to their rescue, saying, "We received reports from Surkhet about the girls being trafficked. Subsequently, we coordinated with the Nepali Embassy in India and an organization dedicated to rescuing victims of human trafficking. Through my initiative and in partnership with the Delhi Commission for Women, we successfully rescued them from Delhi. The Shakti Group played a pivotal role in this operation."
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Charimaya Tamang, a dedicated campaign worker from the Shakti Group, shed light on the challenges faced during the rescue of trafficked individuals, emphasizing the need for clear policies and procedures for repatriation. She noted, "The absence of well-defined policies and procedures for repatriation poses challenges during rescue missions. In the aftermath of the earthquake, many children fell victim to trafficking. We engaged in extensive rescue efforts, managing to save 17 Nepali individuals at once after their families provided information. However, some of those we rescued in 2018 went missing again, only to be rescued two years later. Our efforts face obstacles such as fear, intimidation, threats, and allurements presented by traffickers, which also impact the families involved. We hope that the Ministry and the Minister will take the necessary steps to address these issues."
Indraraj Bhattarai, a prominent social campaigner, stressed the need for more effective measures to prevent trafficking. He called for heightened awareness and vigilance to protect individuals from falling prey to trafficking networks.
