DELAYED JUSTICE - Chidren's Court yet to dispose 56 cases
by Preetu Nair
PANJIM: First the figures: Of the 83 cases in the Children's Court, only 27 have been disposed off, while 56 cases are still pending. Of the 27 cases which were disposed off, 11 persons were acquitted, 5 convicted, 7 discharged due to lack of evidence and 4 transferred as it had happened much before the Goa Children's Act 2003 came into force.
Now the fact: More than two years after the Children's Court started functioning for the speedy trial and disposal of cases where children are victims, paedophiles, rapists, child killers and kidnappers still roam scot-free.
Though the state government under pressure from media and NGOs had started the Children's Court in December 10, 2004 to ensure that every child has his/her childhood, it has not ensured that everything is in place in the Children's Court.
"The problem of delayed justice continues even now. The whole aim of fast justice in the Children's Court is far from achieved. The whole process is time consuming and it is a torture for the child, who is expected to come after two years before the Court and recollect everything and depose," observed Arun Pandey, Director, ARZ, an NGO working with trafficked victims.
Arun is not talking without reason. He has three cases wherein minors have been abused pending in the Children's Court since last 3 years. Two cases are of rape and one is of child labour. "Till now the victim have not been called for deposition nor have the witnesses statement taken by the Court. Witnesses are going to the Court, only to get a new date for deposition," said Pandey.
Everyone agrees that so far there had been delay in delivering judgment as the cases were heard just once a week. But now with the Court sitting for three days a week instead of just one week, one just hopes that the Children's Court becomes a decisive tool to protect the life and dignity of our children.
Even Advocate and Child activist Albertina Almeida said that it is better to have the Children's Court thrice a week rather than just once a week. "But what I am more concerned about is the Court ambience, which is yet not sensitive enough or child friendly", she said.
"Attention also needs to be given to the provisions in the Goa Children's Act requiring a capacity development strategy for the training of judiciary so that they can be abreast with the developments in the Child rights law nationally and internationally," added Albertina.
Total cases in the Children's Court: 83
Cases disposed off: 27
Cases pending: 56
Persons acquitted: 11
Persons convicted: 5
Cases discharged: 7
Cases transferred: 4
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panaji, 23 June 2007)
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Right to Information Act - Blame Game in Goa
PANJIM: When faced with an adversity, blame the
juniors! The superiors in Goa police had so far
triumphed over the problems by either passing the buck
on their inefficient juniors or the system.
Again the same trick was adopted when the South Goa
police failed to provide information under Right to
Information Act to one Samiro Pereira for more than
five months. South Goa SP Shekhar Prabhudesai who is
also the Public Information Officer (PIO) blamed his
juniors, SDPO Margao Tony Fernandes and SDPO Vasco
Dinraj Govekar for the delay. In turn, Fernandes
contended that Colva PI, his own subordinate had
delayed the submission of information, while Govekar
contended that there was no delay from his side.
However, State Chief Information Commissioner A
Venkataratnam and State Information Commissioner G G
Kambli were not impressed by the blame game and made
it clear that they can't accept the pleas of the of
the police officials that their subordinates and not
they themselves are directly responsible for the delay
in furnishing the information as the Police department
is a uniformed department based on hierarchy.
Criticizing the manner in which they pleaded
helplessness in the matter, the Information
Commissioners said, "If we accept this situation as
beyond the control of the PIO, we will be setting a
wrong precedent in the matter of implementation of the
RTI Act" and imposed a penalty of Rs 5000 each on the
PIO and Fernandes, while Govekar was exempted.
"We hold both the SP South (also PIO) and SDPO
Fernandes responsible together and jointly for the
delay caused in providing the information," they
stated in their order.
The Information Commissioners observed that the PIO
has to make efforts to get the information from his
colleagues/subordinates in the department however big
the department is. "It is the personal responsibility
of the PIO to get information requested for by the
citizen and to supply to him. Nowhere have been found
such inordinate delay as in a present case and such
casual approach of entering into correspondence as in
the present case of the Police department," they
added.
Pereira had submitted a request on August 17, 2006 and
as he didn't get any information, he finally
approached the Commission in second appeal to get the
information also take penal action against the SP.
Interestingly, once notice was issued to the SP
(South) and SDPOs, the appellant Pereira submitted
that he is not interested in pursuing the matter.
However, it was not entertained as he had moved the
appeal after the Commission after the order. "In all
probability there might be some pressure on him to say
so. There is no way of finding out one way or the
other," the Information Commissioners added.
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panaji. 22 June 2007)
BY PREETU NAIR
preetu_nair@gomantaktimes.com
juniors! The superiors in Goa police had so far
triumphed over the problems by either passing the buck
on their inefficient juniors or the system.
Again the same trick was adopted when the South Goa
police failed to provide information under Right to
Information Act to one Samiro Pereira for more than
five months. South Goa SP Shekhar Prabhudesai who is
also the Public Information Officer (PIO) blamed his
juniors, SDPO Margao Tony Fernandes and SDPO Vasco
Dinraj Govekar for the delay. In turn, Fernandes
contended that Colva PI, his own subordinate had
delayed the submission of information, while Govekar
contended that there was no delay from his side.
However, State Chief Information Commissioner A
Venkataratnam and State Information Commissioner G G
Kambli were not impressed by the blame game and made
it clear that they can't accept the pleas of the of
the police officials that their subordinates and not
they themselves are directly responsible for the delay
in furnishing the information as the Police department
is a uniformed department based on hierarchy.
Criticizing the manner in which they pleaded
helplessness in the matter, the Information
Commissioners said, "If we accept this situation as
beyond the control of the PIO, we will be setting a
wrong precedent in the matter of implementation of the
RTI Act" and imposed a penalty of Rs 5000 each on the
PIO and Fernandes, while Govekar was exempted.
"We hold both the SP South (also PIO) and SDPO
Fernandes responsible together and jointly for the
delay caused in providing the information," they
stated in their order.
The Information Commissioners observed that the PIO
has to make efforts to get the information from his
colleagues/subordinates in the department however big
the department is. "It is the personal responsibility
of the PIO to get information requested for by the
citizen and to supply to him. Nowhere have been found
such inordinate delay as in a present case and such
casual approach of entering into correspondence as in
the present case of the Police department," they
added.
Pereira had submitted a request on August 17, 2006 and
as he didn't get any information, he finally
approached the Commission in second appeal to get the
information also take penal action against the SP.
Interestingly, once notice was issued to the SP
(South) and SDPOs, the appellant Pereira submitted
that he is not interested in pursuing the matter.
However, it was not entertained as he had moved the
appeal after the Commission after the order. "In all
probability there might be some pressure on him to say
so. There is no way of finding out one way or the
other," the Information Commissioners added.
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panaji. 22 June 2007)
BY PREETU NAIR
preetu_nair@gomantaktimes.com
Friday, April 20, 2007
A deadly stigma!
A youth in Sattari in the Western State of Goa, India believes that TB kills and is not curable. In a remote village in Sanguem, an Anganwadi worker has no access to patients, due to the fear that she may spread the news that they have TB in the village. Anil Sawant stopped the magic pills because he had to travel 25 kms to the health centre for his medicines. These are some of the scary cases that plague the inner areas of the state. PREETU NAIR walks into the heart of Goa, into a different world. For the people living there, TB is not just a public health problem, but a social stigma .
TB kills. We don't even drink water from a house if there is a TB patient living there. What if I get TB after drinking the water?" asked Shidhu Varak, an 18-year-old literate youth from Dhangarwada, Poriem in Sattari. His friend, Dilip Gaonkar from Gholwada, Poriem added, "We don't even get married into a family if we know that anyone in the family had TB. It is a contagious disease and no medicine can ever cure it."
On the other hand, Nago Bhavdan from Corla Moti in Quepem has never heard of TB. His son, a student of standard IX has read about infectious TB and strongly believes that it is incurable. Believe it or not, TB still continues to be a dreaded, incurable disease caused due to a curse or sin in rural Goa. "
TB is not just a public health problem. It is a social problem and the patient is stigmatised and isolated in society. The failure of the health authorities to create awareness about the advances in treatment of TB has added to the woes," said Rajendra Kerkar, a school teacher and grassroots worker in Sattari taluka.
Despite social mobilisation, the TB control programme has not been able to break the myth that TB is contagious nor has been able to spread the message that there are other forms of TB besides pulmonary TB. They have yet to work to improve access to DOTS services in remote areas and overcome stigma of TB and discrimination against TB patients.
"TB is a dirty secret everyone wants to hide. In my village, three men died of TB in the last two years. They didn't take regular medicines and drank alcohol. Whenever I used to go to advise them, they would insult me and ask me who it was that told me that they have TB," revealed an anganwadi worker from a remote village in Sanguem taluka. Under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), modes of observation in villages are often Anganwadi workers who have no access to TB patients, due to the fear that she may spread the news that they have TB in the village and they will be stigmatised.
Further, talking on the condition that she is not quoted, she said, "Most of the people in and around the mining areas have symptoms of pulmonary TB. But they don't go for treatment as they believe that TB is not curable."
"The effort to stop the spread of TB and to ensure a TB free world is curbed by social stigma attached to the disease," admits Dr Bidan Das, State TB Officer, GSTCS. Even Dr Arvind Salelkar, Director of Health Services admits that the effort of changing the mindset of all persons concerned with TB has been a daunting task but yet intensive IEC efforts, training and retraining of staff we have taken a giant leap forward in tackling TB as its very roots.
But official facts are different from field reality. Even as officials at the Goa State Tuberculosis Control Society (GSTCS) demonstrate that DOTS is having its impact and excellent progress has been made with DOTS with case detection and treatment success rates, people in the remote villages in Goa live without easy access to the magic pills.
Anil Sawant was put on DOTS in 2005. Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) is an effective strategy for curing TB, which involves monitoring a patient for six months. The monitoring is crucial because failure to complete the drug treatment can lead to multi-drug resistant TB, which is extremely difficult to cure.
But within three months he stopped the treatment. Reason? "I was feeling better and I couldn't leave my shop and travel every alternate day to go to Hospicio Hospital, Margao, which is 25 kms away from my village for medicines," said Anil Sawant, who runs a tea stall in Dadolem, Sanguem taluka. Recollecting the days of ordeal he says, "I would leave at 6.45 am by bus and return at around 1 pm. This affected my business."
Even his 60-plus mother is suffering from infectious pulmonary TB, but she refuses to go to Margao every alternate day for medicines, which is given free of cost. "She is week but she feels weaker after the travel and therefore has stopped the medicines midway," he added.
Despite World Health Organisation's clear regional strategic plan (2000-2015) to sustain and enhance DOTS to reach all TB patients, improve case detection and ensure treatment success, the patients continue to drop-out of DOTS and nobody no filed visitor visits them to facilitate defaulter retrieval. If the so-called "success" of (RNTCP) is due to its directly observed treatment, then in rural Goa, the directly observed treatment has led to incidents of drop-outs as patients find it difficult to travel miles for treatment.
Worse still is the fact that with the primary health centres and sub-health centres failing to meet the need the health care needs of individuals and families in the community, people are forced to travel long distances to go to the district hospital. ""Earlier we used to go to the Community Health Centre at Savordem, which is 26 kms away from our village. But it doesn't have doctors and adequate equipments. We are made to wait for long hours, only to be sent back without treatment. Due to this we prefer to go to a private doctor," revealed Satyavan Dessai from Sulcorna in Quepem taluka.
Dr Debabar Banerji, Professor Emeritus, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU believes that the problem with RNTCP is that it is not being implemented not being fully implemented. "RNTCP is responsible to create a condition wherein the patients take the pills regularly.
Unless RNTCP ensures that person as a whole is dealt with, it has no meaning," he said. Dr Banerji further added, "There is a group of TB patients who are harassed by poverty and alcoholism. For them TB is a minor problem. The solution lies in solving the major problems of life along with treating TB".
No wonder despite claims of intensification of supervision and monitoring, rigorous record keeping and thorough follow-ups, people like the Sawant's continue to drop-out of the treatment midway.
Free pills, but no food
She doesn't have food to eat but gets the magic pill free of cost. Jani Singadi's was put on DOTS when she was tested sputum positive in January 2006. But the moment, 65-year-old Jani started treatment she felt weaker and had severe stomach ache. Added to that were the multi-layered crisis within the family: three orthopaedically disabled sons, surplus of hunger, no money, an illegal house gifted by a few philanthropists, rising debt, etc.
Unable to deal with the increasing health problems and with no one to take her to the sub-health centre, which is 2 km away at Nanoda, Bicholim, she stopped taking pills for a month. "I couldn't go because I was feeling weak. No field officer ever came to visit me. I started medicines again after sometime when I became seriously ill," she accepts candidly. Now after a year, she is again tested sputum positive at Goa Medical College.
This despite Dr VR Muralidharan, District TB Officer, North Goa claims that we have default retrieval action to retrieve the patient back on track to take medicines. "Our success rate in retrieving patients is very high," he added.
NO TIME FOR HEALTH
For the last three months, Shanti Shetikar has been feeling week. She has had consistent cough since last two months and has lost lot of weight-all symptoms of pulmonary TB. She went to the nearest sub-health centre at Kevona were the doctor gave her iron tablets. But all this has not helped. She has not bothered to go back to the sub-health centre.
"The doctor only comes once a week and that too for an hour. So it's really difficult to meet him. Moreover, we are very poor and no one looks at us in the government hospital. We are made to wait for long hours and then sometimes send back without check-up due to lack of facility. Because of this we prefer to go to a private doctor," she reveals.
So she went to a quack in the village who gave her six vitamin injections stating that she was feeling weak because she was vitamin deficient. However, it has not helped. For long she has been planning to go to for a proper medical check-up at the government hospital in Margao, which is nearly 30 kms away from her mining village in Quinamol, Sanguem, but she has not got time.
"What can I do? Everyday I have to go to the market to sell vegetables. The day I don't go, there is no money at home to feed to two hungry kids," she reveals. Shanti cultivates vegetables and sells them in the market to earn a living.
No tea in TB!
Vithal Parwadkar, who runs a tea stall in at Assnora, Bardez taluka, dilemma is strange. Few villagers have raised objections to him serving tea to "known" TB patients. "People tell me, 'He has TB and you are serving him tea in your stall. We don't want to have tea in the same glass, get us a new set of glasses'," he added.
Strange enough, people are so scared of TB that they have isolated one family in the village because the head of the family died of TB and the rest of the family members are frail and constantly coughing. Vithal reveals that the elder daughter had to be married off to a widower, as no one was ready to marry into the family. GT tried to meet the family, but in vain.
TB kills 1 person every minute in India
-- In Goa, more than 1 person die of TB every month.
- Goa has a high prevalence of tuberculosis as compared to other states
- Annual risk of TB infection is 1.5 % in rest of India, while in the Western region, especially Goa, the risk of TB infection is 1. 9 %
- 20 lakh people in Goa are at present suffering from pulmonary TB, of which nearly 5000 are infectious.
- An average 2,100 new TB cases are detected every year, of which 50 per cent are sputum positive.
The article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition dated April 20, 2007This article is written with the support of PANOS STOP Media Fellowship
TB kills. We don't even drink water from a house if there is a TB patient living there. What if I get TB after drinking the water?" asked Shidhu Varak, an 18-year-old literate youth from Dhangarwada, Poriem in Sattari. His friend, Dilip Gaonkar from Gholwada, Poriem added, "We don't even get married into a family if we know that anyone in the family had TB. It is a contagious disease and no medicine can ever cure it."
On the other hand, Nago Bhavdan from Corla Moti in Quepem has never heard of TB. His son, a student of standard IX has read about infectious TB and strongly believes that it is incurable. Believe it or not, TB still continues to be a dreaded, incurable disease caused due to a curse or sin in rural Goa. "
TB is not just a public health problem. It is a social problem and the patient is stigmatised and isolated in society. The failure of the health authorities to create awareness about the advances in treatment of TB has added to the woes," said Rajendra Kerkar, a school teacher and grassroots worker in Sattari taluka.
Despite social mobilisation, the TB control programme has not been able to break the myth that TB is contagious nor has been able to spread the message that there are other forms of TB besides pulmonary TB. They have yet to work to improve access to DOTS services in remote areas and overcome stigma of TB and discrimination against TB patients.
"TB is a dirty secret everyone wants to hide. In my village, three men died of TB in the last two years. They didn't take regular medicines and drank alcohol. Whenever I used to go to advise them, they would insult me and ask me who it was that told me that they have TB," revealed an anganwadi worker from a remote village in Sanguem taluka. Under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), modes of observation in villages are often Anganwadi workers who have no access to TB patients, due to the fear that she may spread the news that they have TB in the village and they will be stigmatised.
Further, talking on the condition that she is not quoted, she said, "Most of the people in and around the mining areas have symptoms of pulmonary TB. But they don't go for treatment as they believe that TB is not curable."
"The effort to stop the spread of TB and to ensure a TB free world is curbed by social stigma attached to the disease," admits Dr Bidan Das, State TB Officer, GSTCS. Even Dr Arvind Salelkar, Director of Health Services admits that the effort of changing the mindset of all persons concerned with TB has been a daunting task but yet intensive IEC efforts, training and retraining of staff we have taken a giant leap forward in tackling TB as its very roots.
But official facts are different from field reality. Even as officials at the Goa State Tuberculosis Control Society (GSTCS) demonstrate that DOTS is having its impact and excellent progress has been made with DOTS with case detection and treatment success rates, people in the remote villages in Goa live without easy access to the magic pills.
Anil Sawant was put on DOTS in 2005. Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) is an effective strategy for curing TB, which involves monitoring a patient for six months. The monitoring is crucial because failure to complete the drug treatment can lead to multi-drug resistant TB, which is extremely difficult to cure.
But within three months he stopped the treatment. Reason? "I was feeling better and I couldn't leave my shop and travel every alternate day to go to Hospicio Hospital, Margao, which is 25 kms away from my village for medicines," said Anil Sawant, who runs a tea stall in Dadolem, Sanguem taluka. Recollecting the days of ordeal he says, "I would leave at 6.45 am by bus and return at around 1 pm. This affected my business."
Even his 60-plus mother is suffering from infectious pulmonary TB, but she refuses to go to Margao every alternate day for medicines, which is given free of cost. "She is week but she feels weaker after the travel and therefore has stopped the medicines midway," he added.
Despite World Health Organisation's clear regional strategic plan (2000-2015) to sustain and enhance DOTS to reach all TB patients, improve case detection and ensure treatment success, the patients continue to drop-out of DOTS and nobody no filed visitor visits them to facilitate defaulter retrieval. If the so-called "success" of (RNTCP) is due to its directly observed treatment, then in rural Goa, the directly observed treatment has led to incidents of drop-outs as patients find it difficult to travel miles for treatment.
Worse still is the fact that with the primary health centres and sub-health centres failing to meet the need the health care needs of individuals and families in the community, people are forced to travel long distances to go to the district hospital. ""Earlier we used to go to the Community Health Centre at Savordem, which is 26 kms away from our village. But it doesn't have doctors and adequate equipments. We are made to wait for long hours, only to be sent back without treatment. Due to this we prefer to go to a private doctor," revealed Satyavan Dessai from Sulcorna in Quepem taluka.
Dr Debabar Banerji, Professor Emeritus, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU believes that the problem with RNTCP is that it is not being implemented not being fully implemented. "RNTCP is responsible to create a condition wherein the patients take the pills regularly.
Unless RNTCP ensures that person as a whole is dealt with, it has no meaning," he said. Dr Banerji further added, "There is a group of TB patients who are harassed by poverty and alcoholism. For them TB is a minor problem. The solution lies in solving the major problems of life along with treating TB".
No wonder despite claims of intensification of supervision and monitoring, rigorous record keeping and thorough follow-ups, people like the Sawant's continue to drop-out of the treatment midway.
Free pills, but no food
She doesn't have food to eat but gets the magic pill free of cost. Jani Singadi's was put on DOTS when she was tested sputum positive in January 2006. But the moment, 65-year-old Jani started treatment she felt weaker and had severe stomach ache. Added to that were the multi-layered crisis within the family: three orthopaedically disabled sons, surplus of hunger, no money, an illegal house gifted by a few philanthropists, rising debt, etc.
Unable to deal with the increasing health problems and with no one to take her to the sub-health centre, which is 2 km away at Nanoda, Bicholim, she stopped taking pills for a month. "I couldn't go because I was feeling weak. No field officer ever came to visit me. I started medicines again after sometime when I became seriously ill," she accepts candidly. Now after a year, she is again tested sputum positive at Goa Medical College.
This despite Dr VR Muralidharan, District TB Officer, North Goa claims that we have default retrieval action to retrieve the patient back on track to take medicines. "Our success rate in retrieving patients is very high," he added.
NO TIME FOR HEALTH
For the last three months, Shanti Shetikar has been feeling week. She has had consistent cough since last two months and has lost lot of weight-all symptoms of pulmonary TB. She went to the nearest sub-health centre at Kevona were the doctor gave her iron tablets. But all this has not helped. She has not bothered to go back to the sub-health centre.
"The doctor only comes once a week and that too for an hour. So it's really difficult to meet him. Moreover, we are very poor and no one looks at us in the government hospital. We are made to wait for long hours and then sometimes send back without check-up due to lack of facility. Because of this we prefer to go to a private doctor," she reveals.
So she went to a quack in the village who gave her six vitamin injections stating that she was feeling weak because she was vitamin deficient. However, it has not helped. For long she has been planning to go to for a proper medical check-up at the government hospital in Margao, which is nearly 30 kms away from her mining village in Quinamol, Sanguem, but she has not got time.
"What can I do? Everyday I have to go to the market to sell vegetables. The day I don't go, there is no money at home to feed to two hungry kids," she reveals. Shanti cultivates vegetables and sells them in the market to earn a living.
No tea in TB!
Vithal Parwadkar, who runs a tea stall in at Assnora, Bardez taluka, dilemma is strange. Few villagers have raised objections to him serving tea to "known" TB patients. "People tell me, 'He has TB and you are serving him tea in your stall. We don't want to have tea in the same glass, get us a new set of glasses'," he added.
Strange enough, people are so scared of TB that they have isolated one family in the village because the head of the family died of TB and the rest of the family members are frail and constantly coughing. Vithal reveals that the elder daughter had to be married off to a widower, as no one was ready to marry into the family. GT tried to meet the family, but in vain.
TB kills 1 person every minute in India
-- In Goa, more than 1 person die of TB every month.
- Goa has a high prevalence of tuberculosis as compared to other states
- Annual risk of TB infection is 1.5 % in rest of India, while in the Western region, especially Goa, the risk of TB infection is 1. 9 %
- 20 lakh people in Goa are at present suffering from pulmonary TB, of which nearly 5000 are infectious.
- An average 2,100 new TB cases are detected every year, of which 50 per cent are sputum positive.
The article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition dated April 20, 2007This article is written with the support of PANOS STOP Media Fellowship
No DOT(ted) lines for them…HIV vs TB
Not just homes, but hopes were razed on June 14, 2004. Further pushed into a life of poverty, added with their high risk behaviour, have made commercial sex workers fall easy prey to TB and HIV. PREETU NAIR walks through the narrow lanes of Baina to understand the extent of the problem.When earthmovers and bulldozers tore through, brutally and indiscriminately obliterating Shenaz's home in Baina in the western state of Goa, India on June 14, 2004, she didn't breakdown. She didn't cry even when she had to push her minor daughter into commercial sex work to pay the house rent. After all, she had learnt to tackle poverty and live with the little opportunities and choices that life bestowed on her.
Now, Shenaz is in total despair. She finds herself in a vicious circle of stigma, economic hardship and discrimination, aggravated by the fact that she was detected with TB in February. "Life has changed for me. I have lost weight, feel weak and easily tired," said Shenaz. Being detected with TB and put on DOTS was just the beginning of her woes.
Recalling the happenings of the past few months, Shenaz said that she was asked to take medicines for six months from the local STD clinic at Baina. "I got medicines for a week. Later, when I went to the clinic, I was insulted and denied medicines because there was no doctor or nurse on duty. This went on for more than a week and my condition deteriorated and I had to be hospitalised," she revealed.Shehnaz's first time to the STD clinic was a bitter experience. She says, "I am going to the STD clinic because I get medicines free of cost."
Policy makers claim that the DOTS strategy is based on the availability of free, quality anti-TB drugs for all actively infected patients through the public health network, the reality is quite different. People like Shehnaz are denied easy access to treatment because they belong to a stigmatised group in Baina.
However, officials at the Goa State Tuberculosis Control Society (GSTCS) blame the failing primary health system and shortage of doctors in the health centres for such goof-ups. "At present, there is no doctor at the Baina STD clinic. We are trying to cover up for it with the help of auxiliary workers and they are doing good work, but there is an obvious lack of doctor, which shows," explained Dr VR Muralidharan, District TB Officer, North Goa.
However, Shenaz doesn't understand these arguments. All she knows is that her health deteriorated because she, a single breadwinner, didn't get medicines on time. "It is really difficult times for us. Each time I have fought to rebuild my life. Now I am tired," she added.
OUT OF REACH
Dr Maryam Shahmanesh, Clinical Research Fellow and Clinical epidemiologist for EFA, University College London, reveals that their studies have shown that the forced eviction of Baina has made the women much more mobile than before. "If they had TB it would have been very difficult for them to access DOT services and even more difficult for services and NGOs to find them. An additional factor is that the demolition led to a further erosion of the women's trust towards both public health services as well as NGOs for the Baina women felt let down by these services/agencies," she said.
Although there are no accurate estimates of TB in Baina, Dr Maryam believes that given the high prevalence of HIV amongst the Baina "sex workers" and the higher vulnerability to TB and HIV, it is very likely that the prevalence of TB in the women of Baina would have been much higher than the general population.
Arun Pandey, Director, ARZ, an NGO working with trafficked victims in Baina admits that many women in Baina didn't get the benefits of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme because it started in Goa in September 2004, a few months after the Baina demolition. "Now it is also difficult for NGO's to have access to TB patients, as the trafficked victims have spread around. Their behavioural pattern, fear of discrimination and stigma make it difficult for them to come for treatment," said Arun.
NO DATE WITH DOTS
When a physically weak Rupa was taken for a sputum test at the Cottage hospital at Chicalim, she was sent to the TB hospital at Margao. At the TB hospital, she was tested sputum positive. The doctor advised her to be admitted for monitoring. However, the condition placed on her was: She should arrange for someone to stay with her at the hospital.
"Often patients are dumped at the TB hospital for months together because no one is ready to take them back home due to stigma. We wanted to fix responsibility and therefore we insist that someone should accompany the patient to the TB hospital and stay with them. This ensures family support and takes care of patient's needs besides the nursing part," added Dr Muralidharan.
"As no one was ready to stay with me, I made an excuse that my little child was alone at home and as there is no one to look after him, I would prefer to stay at home," she said. The doctors agreed and put her on DOTS. A month later, she went on a date (that's outstation trips for a period of 10 or 15 days for commercial sex work) during which she stopped the treatment. Now back in Goa, she is admitted in the TB hospital, struggling hard to survive.
"When you have the strong medicines to cure TB you need to have nutritious food and vitamin supplements. For this, they have to prostitute and to prostitute they drink alcohol. Alcoholism added with the kind of job they indulge in, ensures that they have no discipline in life. Further they are stressed out, depressed and have suicidal tendencies as they have no expectation from life, so it is difficult to convince them to continue with the medicines", observed Pandey.
Officials at GSTCS admit that dropouts are high amongst these vulnerable sections. "Sometimes they don't reveal their proper address. Neither do they inform us when they go out of station. This is the case with many here. Stopping the medicines abruptly and re-starting has resulted in many cases of drug resistance in Baina," admitted Dr Bidan Das, State TB Officer, GSTCS.
HIV V/S TB
In a late night raid at Baina on July 24, 2006, Laxmi was rescued and produced by the police before the Mormugao Deputy Collector and SDM, who remanded her to protective custody. The next day, the SDM ordered the police to take her to GMC for medical examination, which was delayed.
On July 27, the SDM learned from an NGO that Laxmi was receiving DOTS treatment and she had missed the medicines because she was sent to the State Protective Home at Merces, and immediately passed an order stating that Laxmi be allowed to take any medical treatment. Few days later, the in-charge of Protective Home wrote to the SDM stating that Laxmi has revealed that she has TB and HIV and is bleeding, which is risky for others and there is no medical staff to give her medicines nor any vehicle to transport her to the hospital in case of an emergency.
"With this case I was put in a peculiar situation. Immediate medical check-up is essential under section 15 (5)(A) of ITPA and I had asked for her to be sent for medical check-up. Had we got the reports on time, there wouldn't have been any problem. Further, I was in a fix once the State Protective Home in-charge expressed their inability to keep her and so I had to seek the help of an NGO ASRO," stated SDM Levinson Martins.
Despite the HIV pandemic presenting a massive challenge to the control of TB at all levels, there is no joint effort between various agencies to decrease the burden of TB and HIV especially amongst the vulnerable section and ensure timely treatment. At the moment, the only joint effort in Goa is between Goa State AIDS Control Society and GSTCS, but their role is also very limited.
(Few names have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals)
The article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition dated April 13, 2007This article is written with the support of PANOS STOP Media Fellowship
Now, Shenaz is in total despair. She finds herself in a vicious circle of stigma, economic hardship and discrimination, aggravated by the fact that she was detected with TB in February. "Life has changed for me. I have lost weight, feel weak and easily tired," said Shenaz. Being detected with TB and put on DOTS was just the beginning of her woes.
Recalling the happenings of the past few months, Shenaz said that she was asked to take medicines for six months from the local STD clinic at Baina. "I got medicines for a week. Later, when I went to the clinic, I was insulted and denied medicines because there was no doctor or nurse on duty. This went on for more than a week and my condition deteriorated and I had to be hospitalised," she revealed.Shehnaz's first time to the STD clinic was a bitter experience. She says, "I am going to the STD clinic because I get medicines free of cost."
Policy makers claim that the DOTS strategy is based on the availability of free, quality anti-TB drugs for all actively infected patients through the public health network, the reality is quite different. People like Shehnaz are denied easy access to treatment because they belong to a stigmatised group in Baina.
However, officials at the Goa State Tuberculosis Control Society (GSTCS) blame the failing primary health system and shortage of doctors in the health centres for such goof-ups. "At present, there is no doctor at the Baina STD clinic. We are trying to cover up for it with the help of auxiliary workers and they are doing good work, but there is an obvious lack of doctor, which shows," explained Dr VR Muralidharan, District TB Officer, North Goa.
However, Shenaz doesn't understand these arguments. All she knows is that her health deteriorated because she, a single breadwinner, didn't get medicines on time. "It is really difficult times for us. Each time I have fought to rebuild my life. Now I am tired," she added.
OUT OF REACH
Dr Maryam Shahmanesh, Clinical Research Fellow and Clinical epidemiologist for EFA, University College London, reveals that their studies have shown that the forced eviction of Baina has made the women much more mobile than before. "If they had TB it would have been very difficult for them to access DOT services and even more difficult for services and NGOs to find them. An additional factor is that the demolition led to a further erosion of the women's trust towards both public health services as well as NGOs for the Baina women felt let down by these services/agencies," she said.
Although there are no accurate estimates of TB in Baina, Dr Maryam believes that given the high prevalence of HIV amongst the Baina "sex workers" and the higher vulnerability to TB and HIV, it is very likely that the prevalence of TB in the women of Baina would have been much higher than the general population.
Arun Pandey, Director, ARZ, an NGO working with trafficked victims in Baina admits that many women in Baina didn't get the benefits of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme because it started in Goa in September 2004, a few months after the Baina demolition. "Now it is also difficult for NGO's to have access to TB patients, as the trafficked victims have spread around. Their behavioural pattern, fear of discrimination and stigma make it difficult for them to come for treatment," said Arun.
NO DATE WITH DOTS
When a physically weak Rupa was taken for a sputum test at the Cottage hospital at Chicalim, she was sent to the TB hospital at Margao. At the TB hospital, she was tested sputum positive. The doctor advised her to be admitted for monitoring. However, the condition placed on her was: She should arrange for someone to stay with her at the hospital.
"Often patients are dumped at the TB hospital for months together because no one is ready to take them back home due to stigma. We wanted to fix responsibility and therefore we insist that someone should accompany the patient to the TB hospital and stay with them. This ensures family support and takes care of patient's needs besides the nursing part," added Dr Muralidharan.
"As no one was ready to stay with me, I made an excuse that my little child was alone at home and as there is no one to look after him, I would prefer to stay at home," she said. The doctors agreed and put her on DOTS. A month later, she went on a date (that's outstation trips for a period of 10 or 15 days for commercial sex work) during which she stopped the treatment. Now back in Goa, she is admitted in the TB hospital, struggling hard to survive.
"When you have the strong medicines to cure TB you need to have nutritious food and vitamin supplements. For this, they have to prostitute and to prostitute they drink alcohol. Alcoholism added with the kind of job they indulge in, ensures that they have no discipline in life. Further they are stressed out, depressed and have suicidal tendencies as they have no expectation from life, so it is difficult to convince them to continue with the medicines", observed Pandey.
Officials at GSTCS admit that dropouts are high amongst these vulnerable sections. "Sometimes they don't reveal their proper address. Neither do they inform us when they go out of station. This is the case with many here. Stopping the medicines abruptly and re-starting has resulted in many cases of drug resistance in Baina," admitted Dr Bidan Das, State TB Officer, GSTCS.
HIV V/S TB
In a late night raid at Baina on July 24, 2006, Laxmi was rescued and produced by the police before the Mormugao Deputy Collector and SDM, who remanded her to protective custody. The next day, the SDM ordered the police to take her to GMC for medical examination, which was delayed.
On July 27, the SDM learned from an NGO that Laxmi was receiving DOTS treatment and she had missed the medicines because she was sent to the State Protective Home at Merces, and immediately passed an order stating that Laxmi be allowed to take any medical treatment. Few days later, the in-charge of Protective Home wrote to the SDM stating that Laxmi has revealed that she has TB and HIV and is bleeding, which is risky for others and there is no medical staff to give her medicines nor any vehicle to transport her to the hospital in case of an emergency.
"With this case I was put in a peculiar situation. Immediate medical check-up is essential under section 15 (5)(A) of ITPA and I had asked for her to be sent for medical check-up. Had we got the reports on time, there wouldn't have been any problem. Further, I was in a fix once the State Protective Home in-charge expressed their inability to keep her and so I had to seek the help of an NGO ASRO," stated SDM Levinson Martins.
Despite the HIV pandemic presenting a massive challenge to the control of TB at all levels, there is no joint effort between various agencies to decrease the burden of TB and HIV especially amongst the vulnerable section and ensure timely treatment. At the moment, the only joint effort in Goa is between Goa State AIDS Control Society and GSTCS, but their role is also very limited.
(Few names have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals)
The article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition dated April 13, 2007This article is written with the support of PANOS STOP Media Fellowship
Saturday, April 07, 2007
CURBING IGNORANCE- TUBERCULOSIS IN GOA
Incidentally, has a high prevalence of tuberculosis as compared to other states. “The annual risk of TB infection is 1.5 per cent in rest of , while in the Western region, especially , the risk of TB infection is 1. 9 per cent,” revealed Dr VR Muralidharan, District TB Officer, . Yet, reliable sources in the Health Services department inform that not much attention has been paid by the health authorities to eradicate the disease.
It is estimated that 20 lakh people in are at present suffering from pulmonary TB, of which nearly 5000 are infectious. An average 2,100 new TB cases are detected every year, of which 50 per cent are sputum positive.
“In terms of numbers, the number of sputum cases that are investigated has increased. We are now getting cases from the remote areas even without holding medical camps or door-to-door medical check-ups. This shows that people are becoming more and more aware of the possibility of them having TB,” said Dr Muralidharan. He however added, “The stigma about TB has now come down considerably. It now exists only amongst the migrant or illiterate people.”
Better late than never?
Blame it on administrative failure or lack of political will, but RNTCP was started in on September 13, 2004, nearly 11 years after the programme was launched nationwide. But now, the state government is trying to make up for the delay and has pledged to detect 70 per cent of all infectious TB cases and cure 85 per cent of them by the end of 2007. However, few government doctors are not so optimistic. “Once you start later, its always a question of catching up because its an on-going process and the number of cases keep coming up,” said a doctor, on condition of anonymity. Still worse, the District TB Hospitals are terribly short staffed.
But officials at the Goa State Tuberculosis Control Society (GSTCS) insist that efforts are being made to catch up with lost time and ensure that each and every TB patient gets the required treatment, on time. They are working hard to connect with the villages and communities to sensitise people that TB is no more a dreaded disease and is curable.
Women matter
Though 30-year- old Sunita from Valpoi was literate, her ignorance about TB was immense. She didn’t know that TB is curable and the treatment for TB is absolutely free. Worse still, for her, TB meant a disease in which a person ended up in some sanatorium, rejected and isolated by the family.
To get across the message that TB is curable and treatment is free of cost for women, the “hidden section” of the society, GSTCS has now approached the mahila mandals and women’s self-help groups with the aim to ensure that women have access to adequate and important information.
“Women in rural areas don’t have a dominant voice in the family and due to this, they fear that if detected with TB, they may be isolated or rejected by family members,” explained Dr Muralidharan. Interestingly, now GSTCS has also started sensitising school kids about TB, because they believe that children are the best disseminators of information.
Partnerships
Coming to the nearest health centre for his DOTS treatment everyday, meant that Ramesh from Torda, near Porvorim, would lose his daily wage of Rs 150. To make certain that Ramesh had his daily dose of medicines, GSTCS entered into a tie-up with the private JMJ hospital, to become a Directly Observed Treatment, short course (DOTS) provider. A DOTS provider has to ensure that the patients swallow the medicines under their direct supervision. DOTS prevents the spread of TB bacilli, thus reducing the incidence and prevalence of TB and providing credence to TB control efforts. End result: he is now cured.
With the increasing realisation that a sub-health centre may not be able to reach people at the micro-level and to ensure that the patient doesn’t default, the focus has now shifted to anganwadi workers all the talukas of . Moreover, they have easy access to women and children. Already, 700-800 anganwadi workers have been sensitised in a majority of the talukas.
Panch power!
Imagine, an ambitious panch member as a DOTS provider. Sounds impossible? Well, it is possible in . When 20-year-old Sneha in Cumbarjua was tested sputum positive, she was to be put on DOTS. But Sneha was not interested in going to the nearest health centre for her dose of medicine because she had to work from 7 am to 7 pm to ensure that her elderly parents get a decent meal.
Enter a panch member who became a DOTS provider. He would visit her with the medicines after she returned from work and ensured that she had her treatment. Subhash Gawde, a former panch member at Madkai, agrees that the panch members should involve themselves in such community services as it reduces stigma and ensures that TB patients get timely treatment. “TB is curable and the treatment is absolutely free of cost. So one no more needs to be scared of the disease,” added Gawde, whose come forward to become a DOTS provider from Madkai. Inspired by his response, GSTCS now aims to sensitise and train the panchayat members.
(Some names have been changed to protect identities)
The article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition dated April 6, 2007
It is estimated that 20 lakh people in are at present suffering from pulmonary TB, of which nearly 5000 are infectious. An average 2,100 new TB cases are detected every year, of which 50 per cent are sputum positive.
“In terms of numbers, the number of sputum cases that are investigated has increased. We are now getting cases from the remote areas even without holding medical camps or door-to-door medical check-ups. This shows that people are becoming more and more aware of the possibility of them having TB,” said Dr Muralidharan. He however added, “The stigma about TB has now come down considerably. It now exists only amongst the migrant or illiterate people.”
Better late than never?
Blame it on administrative failure or lack of political will, but RNTCP was started in on September 13, 2004, nearly 11 years after the programme was launched nationwide. But now, the state government is trying to make up for the delay and has pledged to detect 70 per cent of all infectious TB cases and cure 85 per cent of them by the end of 2007. However, few government doctors are not so optimistic. “Once you start later, its always a question of catching up because its an on-going process and the number of cases keep coming up,” said a doctor, on condition of anonymity. Still worse, the District TB Hospitals are terribly short staffed.
But officials at the Goa State Tuberculosis Control Society (GSTCS) insist that efforts are being made to catch up with lost time and ensure that each and every TB patient gets the required treatment, on time. They are working hard to connect with the villages and communities to sensitise people that TB is no more a dreaded disease and is curable.
Women matter
Though 30-year- old Sunita from Valpoi was literate, her ignorance about TB was immense. She didn’t know that TB is curable and the treatment for TB is absolutely free. Worse still, for her, TB meant a disease in which a person ended up in some sanatorium, rejected and isolated by the family.
To get across the message that TB is curable and treatment is free of cost for women, the “hidden section” of the society, GSTCS has now approached the mahila mandals and women’s self-help groups with the aim to ensure that women have access to adequate and important information.
“Women in rural areas don’t have a dominant voice in the family and due to this, they fear that if detected with TB, they may be isolated or rejected by family members,” explained Dr Muralidharan. Interestingly, now GSTCS has also started sensitising school kids about TB, because they believe that children are the best disseminators of information.
Partnerships
Coming to the nearest health centre for his DOTS treatment everyday, meant that Ramesh from Torda, near Porvorim, would lose his daily wage of Rs 150. To make certain that Ramesh had his daily dose of medicines, GSTCS entered into a tie-up with the private JMJ hospital, to become a Directly Observed Treatment, short course (DOTS) provider. A DOTS provider has to ensure that the patients swallow the medicines under their direct supervision. DOTS prevents the spread of TB bacilli, thus reducing the incidence and prevalence of TB and providing credence to TB control efforts. End result: he is now cured.
With the increasing realisation that a sub-health centre may not be able to reach people at the micro-level and to ensure that the patient doesn’t default, the focus has now shifted to anganwadi workers all the talukas of . Moreover, they have easy access to women and children. Already, 700-800 anganwadi workers have been sensitised in a majority of the talukas.
Panch power!
Imagine, an ambitious panch member as a DOTS provider. Sounds impossible? Well, it is possible in . When 20-year-old Sneha in Cumbarjua was tested sputum positive, she was to be put on DOTS. But Sneha was not interested in going to the nearest health centre for her dose of medicine because she had to work from 7 am to 7 pm to ensure that her elderly parents get a decent meal.
Enter a panch member who became a DOTS provider. He would visit her with the medicines after she returned from work and ensured that she had her treatment. Subhash Gawde, a former panch member at Madkai, agrees that the panch members should involve themselves in such community services as it reduces stigma and ensures that TB patients get timely treatment. “TB is curable and the treatment is absolutely free of cost. So one no more needs to be scared of the disease,” added Gawde, whose come forward to become a DOTS provider from Madkai. Inspired by his response, GSTCS now aims to sensitise and train the panchayat members.
(Some names have been changed to protect identities)
The article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition dated April 6, 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
FROM BANGLADESH TO GOA: A HELPLESS SEX VICTIM’S SAGA
FROM BANGLADESH TO GOA: A HELPLESS SEX VICTIM’S SAGA
What happens in the terribly painful life of a child-trafficking victim? What are the horrors she has to go through beginning with a late night border crossing to regular rape by clients? PETER D’SOUZA and PREETU NAIR investigate further and piece together a 16-year-old girl’s nightmare that ended with her returning home last week. This is a true story.
PANAJI: It is a story of extraordinary pain! A poverty-stricken Bangladeshi family is approached by an apparently well-meaning woman, who offers their daughter a lucrative job with the promise of a fortune. That was the innocuous beginning to an eight-month nightmare that had all the elements of deceit, hatred, lucre and lust.
When Parvin (one of the three women) first visited their home in a village in Coomilla district, which is almost eight hours drive from Dhaka, the 16-year-old Mumtaz (name changed) saw a ray of hope for the family because Parvin came with a promise of a job in a steel factory in Gulf. But there was a hitch! Parvin wanted to take her elder sister. But standard VIII student, Mumtaz convinced her parents and Parvin that she was the perfect choice for the job.
After initial resentment, her father, a retired textile worker and her mother, a housewife agreed, not knowing that their little daughter’s life would soon become a living hell. In fact, they even shelled out Rs 60,000 (Bangladeshi Taka) to Parvin, out of which Rs 50,000 was taken as a loan and the rest was kept aside to carry out work in the field.
On November 23, 2004 Mumtaz was brought in from Bangladesh to India via Kolkatta along with two other girls. In Kolkatta, they were given a different name and identity and taken to Mumbai, where she met Rekha and Arti, the two other accused, and to Ahmedabad, where she was first forced into prostitution. Says a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) source, “When Mumtaz refused to please a man, the women held Mumtaz’s limbs, while the drunken man raped her.”
Within two days, she was brought back to Mumbai in a battered state. She refused to talk or eat and demanded to talk to her father. Back again she was sent with Arti to Ahmedabad, where she managed to stealthily inform her father on phone about her plight. But she was soon caught and punished.
“You will have to earn money for me now”, said Arti beating her. She was soon sent to Gandhidham, in Gujarat, where the broker’s wife rescued her and gave her protection.
Meanwhile, Mumtaz’s father along with few other people lodged a complaint against Parvin.
Soon she left Gandhidham to go to Bangladesh, but was caught at Borivali station by Rekha. They threatened her with dire consequences, but when she continued with her plea to return to Bangladesh, Rekha said, “You go to Goa and work as waitress in ladies night bar and you will be paid Rs 15,000. With the money you can return home.”
Left with no option, she agreed and arrived in Goa in April this year along with Rekha, where she met Prabha, the sex racket’s Queen Bee. At first, she refused to work, but soon she was warned, “If you don’t work, you won’t be able to go home.” And the first day, she was sent to “work” she was caught by the Pernem police, who took her to Apna Ghar saying that they had found her at the Pernem railway station, and that she had run away from home with her boyfriend.
Ironically, Vishram Borkar, SP, Crime Branch in a press conference soon after they nabbed the three women – Parvin, Arti and Rekha -- had stated that the matter first came to light in mid-April when three boys and a girl checked into a hotel in North Goa. The staff at the hotel suspected something amiss and informed the police. The three boys however managed to escape from the hotel leaving behind the teenager who was taken into custody by the police and then sent to Apna Ghar. From here, she was admitted at Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, Goa as she was under immense stress.
At Apna Ghar, Parvin came to visit her on the pretext that she is her sister and wanted to take her home. One day, she came with a letter from the Pernem police dated 13 June, 2005 asking the CWC to hand over the girl to Parvin, revealed a CWC member.
But when GT contacted Pernem police, PI Sagar Ekosker informed that he must have sent a letter since Tara Kerkar had come to them claiming that the girl’s parents have come to collect her and hence she wanted a release letter from them. PI Ekosker said, “Since I knew Tara well and the girl’s parents had come to collect her, I had no objections whatsoever of the girl going with her parents. At that time, we didn’t know about the sex racket”.
Once the counsellors at Apna Ghar won the victim’s trust, she revealed everything. Meanwhile, CWC got in touch with the High Commission of Bangladesh, New Delhi, a Delhi based NGO STOP (Stop Trafficking and Oppression of Child and Women) as well as a Bangladeshi NGO, Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association. At that time, the CWC informed Vishram Borkar, SP, Crime Branch that they were in touch with the High Commission of Bangladesh to repatriate the girl. “But he laughed it off saying that High Commission of Bangladesh doesn’t have money to take back the girl,” informed CWC chairperson, Dr Damodar Kunkoliekar.
But Borkar reiterated that no one has contacted him nor there was any document to prove it.
The girl was sent along with Roma Debabrata, President, STOP to Delhi on 24 July and from there she was taken to Bangladesh on 25 July. Confirming this, Debabrata told GT over the phone, “I was contacted by the High Commission of Bangladesh and when I came to know that the child is in a bad shape, as she was abused physically and mentally, I thought that it was in the best interest of the child to send her home to her parents in Bangladesh”. She was permitted to do so by the CWC members and so the minor girl was sent home.
When GT contacted Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association, they said that the girl was safe at home in Bangladesh.
Goa Police: A story of contradictions
As the picture of the girl’s repatriation with a “person” from the Bangladeshi embassy became clearer, the Goa police’s role in the whole episode is getting murkier. Worse still, contradictions galore pour forth from the senior police officials!
ON DJ AGNELO
DYSP CRIME BRANCH Bossuet D’Silva
“DJ Agnelo was getting a hefty sum from Prabha and asked them to leave when something fishy was going on”.
DIG Ujjwal Mishra
“He had sub-let the house to someone who in turn let it out to Prabha. So DJ Agnelo is nowhere in the sex racket.”
SP Vishram Borkar, Crime Branch
“DJ Agnelo’s house is a guest house. And therefore the need to register Prabha and others for staying at the guesthouse didn’t arise. Agnelo is nowhere involved in the case.”
Flesh trader Parvin is wanted in Bangladesh. A case has been filed under the 5 (1) provision of Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 (amended in 2003) for which the proceedings have started in Bangladesh.
What happens in the terribly painful life of a child-trafficking victim? What are the horrors she has to go through beginning with a late night border crossing to regular rape by clients? PETER D’SOUZA and PREETU NAIR investigate further and piece together a 16-year-old girl’s nightmare that ended with her returning home last week. This is a true story.
PANAJI: It is a story of extraordinary pain! A poverty-stricken Bangladeshi family is approached by an apparently well-meaning woman, who offers their daughter a lucrative job with the promise of a fortune. That was the innocuous beginning to an eight-month nightmare that had all the elements of deceit, hatred, lucre and lust.
When Parvin (one of the three women) first visited their home in a village in Coomilla district, which is almost eight hours drive from Dhaka, the 16-year-old Mumtaz (name changed) saw a ray of hope for the family because Parvin came with a promise of a job in a steel factory in Gulf. But there was a hitch! Parvin wanted to take her elder sister. But standard VIII student, Mumtaz convinced her parents and Parvin that she was the perfect choice for the job.
After initial resentment, her father, a retired textile worker and her mother, a housewife agreed, not knowing that their little daughter’s life would soon become a living hell. In fact, they even shelled out Rs 60,000 (Bangladeshi Taka) to Parvin, out of which Rs 50,000 was taken as a loan and the rest was kept aside to carry out work in the field.
On November 23, 2004 Mumtaz was brought in from Bangladesh to India via Kolkatta along with two other girls. In Kolkatta, they were given a different name and identity and taken to Mumbai, where she met Rekha and Arti, the two other accused, and to Ahmedabad, where she was first forced into prostitution. Says a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) source, “When Mumtaz refused to please a man, the women held Mumtaz’s limbs, while the drunken man raped her.”
Within two days, she was brought back to Mumbai in a battered state. She refused to talk or eat and demanded to talk to her father. Back again she was sent with Arti to Ahmedabad, where she managed to stealthily inform her father on phone about her plight. But she was soon caught and punished.
“You will have to earn money for me now”, said Arti beating her. She was soon sent to Gandhidham, in Gujarat, where the broker’s wife rescued her and gave her protection.
Meanwhile, Mumtaz’s father along with few other people lodged a complaint against Parvin.
Soon she left Gandhidham to go to Bangladesh, but was caught at Borivali station by Rekha. They threatened her with dire consequences, but when she continued with her plea to return to Bangladesh, Rekha said, “You go to Goa and work as waitress in ladies night bar and you will be paid Rs 15,000. With the money you can return home.”
Left with no option, she agreed and arrived in Goa in April this year along with Rekha, where she met Prabha, the sex racket’s Queen Bee. At first, she refused to work, but soon she was warned, “If you don’t work, you won’t be able to go home.” And the first day, she was sent to “work” she was caught by the Pernem police, who took her to Apna Ghar saying that they had found her at the Pernem railway station, and that she had run away from home with her boyfriend.
Ironically, Vishram Borkar, SP, Crime Branch in a press conference soon after they nabbed the three women – Parvin, Arti and Rekha -- had stated that the matter first came to light in mid-April when three boys and a girl checked into a hotel in North Goa. The staff at the hotel suspected something amiss and informed the police. The three boys however managed to escape from the hotel leaving behind the teenager who was taken into custody by the police and then sent to Apna Ghar. From here, she was admitted at Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, Goa as she was under immense stress.
At Apna Ghar, Parvin came to visit her on the pretext that she is her sister and wanted to take her home. One day, she came with a letter from the Pernem police dated 13 June, 2005 asking the CWC to hand over the girl to Parvin, revealed a CWC member.
But when GT contacted Pernem police, PI Sagar Ekosker informed that he must have sent a letter since Tara Kerkar had come to them claiming that the girl’s parents have come to collect her and hence she wanted a release letter from them. PI Ekosker said, “Since I knew Tara well and the girl’s parents had come to collect her, I had no objections whatsoever of the girl going with her parents. At that time, we didn’t know about the sex racket”.
Once the counsellors at Apna Ghar won the victim’s trust, she revealed everything. Meanwhile, CWC got in touch with the High Commission of Bangladesh, New Delhi, a Delhi based NGO STOP (Stop Trafficking and Oppression of Child and Women) as well as a Bangladeshi NGO, Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association. At that time, the CWC informed Vishram Borkar, SP, Crime Branch that they were in touch with the High Commission of Bangladesh to repatriate the girl. “But he laughed it off saying that High Commission of Bangladesh doesn’t have money to take back the girl,” informed CWC chairperson, Dr Damodar Kunkoliekar.
But Borkar reiterated that no one has contacted him nor there was any document to prove it.
The girl was sent along with Roma Debabrata, President, STOP to Delhi on 24 July and from there she was taken to Bangladesh on 25 July. Confirming this, Debabrata told GT over the phone, “I was contacted by the High Commission of Bangladesh and when I came to know that the child is in a bad shape, as she was abused physically and mentally, I thought that it was in the best interest of the child to send her home to her parents in Bangladesh”. She was permitted to do so by the CWC members and so the minor girl was sent home.
When GT contacted Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association, they said that the girl was safe at home in Bangladesh.
Goa Police: A story of contradictions
As the picture of the girl’s repatriation with a “person” from the Bangladeshi embassy became clearer, the Goa police’s role in the whole episode is getting murkier. Worse still, contradictions galore pour forth from the senior police officials!
ON DJ AGNELO
DYSP CRIME BRANCH Bossuet D’Silva
“DJ Agnelo was getting a hefty sum from Prabha and asked them to leave when something fishy was going on”.
DIG Ujjwal Mishra
“He had sub-let the house to someone who in turn let it out to Prabha. So DJ Agnelo is nowhere in the sex racket.”
SP Vishram Borkar, Crime Branch
“DJ Agnelo’s house is a guest house. And therefore the need to register Prabha and others for staying at the guesthouse didn’t arise. Agnelo is nowhere involved in the case.”
Flesh trader Parvin is wanted in Bangladesh. A case has been filed under the 5 (1) provision of Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 (amended in 2003) for which the proceedings have started in Bangladesh.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Is Goa really a paedophiles paradise?
Is Goa really a paedophiles paradise? PREETU NAIR spoke to Women and Child Minister SUBHASH SHIRODKAR and Children's Rights in Goa president NISHTHA DESAI to know the truth. While Desai believes that there are 'not less than 100' paedophiles operating in Goa, Shirodkar asks where is the data to prove this?
“Tracking paedophiles is not an NGO’s job but of investigating agencies”: Desai.
Interview with Nishta Desai, President , Children’s Rights Goa (CRG), INDIA
Q. In your book See the Evil you state, "there are not less than 'hundreds' of paedophiles operating in Goa in each tourist season". How do you arrive at this figure?
A. It is 'not less than 100'. This estimate was arrived at on the basis of a survey conducted; work in the field, cases reported to us, what community members say etc.
Q. In your recent book Child Sexual Abuse in Goa, you state that many paedophiles still come to Goa. With this knowledge in hand, what are you doing to track down the paedophiles?
A. CRG is primarily involved in prevention of CSA. For this we strive to empower children to protect themselves through our interaction with children. Our campaign against paedophilia and advocacy measures engages the community and the authorities, respectively. Apart from this, when we receive complaints, we verify details of the complaint and inform the police. We have said that when there has been grave suspicion against a travelling sex offender and for various reasons he/she has not been prosecuted, then such persons should be denied visas - as in the cases of Ernie Jean Francois, Allan Dow, John Middleton, Jorg Harry Ringelmann, etc. Tracking paedophiles is not the job of an NGO. We have neither the resources nor the authority to do it. This is the job of the investigating agencies.
Q. How many foreign paedophiles operate in Goa? And how does this "organised and already fairly institutionalised" network work in Goa?
A. I do not have a head count of paedophiles, only an estimate. My book See the Evil will answer this question.
Q. Women and Child Minister Subhash Shirodkar in a recent interview to BBC world service said that the issue of paedophilia is a little hyped and added, "NGOs are not complaining to me. What prevents them, when every week and every month, they meet me?" Have the NGO's working with children failed to report the facts to the Minister in their urge to partner with the state to make child friendly policies?
A. I agree that the issue of paedophilia is hyped and have said so in various interviews, but significantly, media persons have failed to quote me on this. I have also said that this is NOT a Goa-specific problem but a problem that is prevalent in all major tourist destinations, which is also rarely quoted.
With regard to political will, it has to be seen in perspective. There was a time when there was outright denial on the part of the state that tourism related paedophilia in Goa was an issue. Today, it is acknowledged. What is required now is to invoke the provisions in Goa Children's Act, 2003. For this we are working with the government, police, prosecution machinery, medico-legal fraternity and the community. Striving for child friendly policies has consistently been our endeavour. To have effective child protection mechanisms in place, it is essential for NGOs to work in partnership with government.
Q. Why has there been no conviction of paedophiles in the recent past? Besides the failure of the state machinery, doesn't it also show the failure of NGOs working with children?
A. From the last two cases that came before the Children's Court we learnt that there is the need for a witness protection programme to prevent witnesses turning hostile. This could be partly achieved by setting up of a Victims Assistance Unit. Having said this, every agency has a role to play in child protection. For example, when the media has reported cases of offenders operating, NGOs have asked the media to share information so that steps can be taken against the perpetrator, but the media hasn't always cooperated. I think when it comes to child protection we all need to think of how we can be more effective in what we do. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
“It is NGOs duty to ensure that the problem is totally eradicated”: Shirodkar
Interview with Mr Subhash Shirodkar, Minister - Women and Child Department, Government of Goa, INDIA.
Q. Why do you say that the issue of paedophilia is a little hyped up in Goa?
A. Unless and until I see or hear about the cases of paedophilia and get it confirmed, why should I believe it? It is my nature, that I don’t believe anything –good or bad—just by hearsay. Moreover, where is the data to prove the claim? Of course, I have verified with the police department and there are few cases but they are not just cases of paedophilia.
Q. NGOs have been vocal about the problems of CSA to the press. It is surprising that they have never complained to you. Comment.
A. It is been 19 months since I took over as the Women and Child minister. No one has come and reported to me about a child or girl who is being exploited. If the traffickers and trafficked victims are operating in Goa, then they won’t just run away. They would be definitely operating repeatedly at the same spot. If the NGO’s have spotted such things they should come and tell me. I am always open to it. I can depute my people and also inform the police.
Q. Are you scared that if the government takes up the problem of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in a forthright manner, then the state could loose tourist revenue?
A. At what cost? At the cost of our own children! I shall be the last person to consider such an economic or financial statement that if we investigate we would loose tourist revenue.
Q. If you believe that CSA is not at all a problem in the state, then why did you encourage NGO's to have consultations, meetings and workshops with Women and Child department officials?
A. To deal with problems of CSA and other problems of street children and commercial sexual exploitation we promote the NGOs. The problem has to be nipped in the bud to ensure a safe future for our children. This is the reason why we encourage the NGOs. NGOs need to be there. But I wouldn’t like to comment on the workshops and conferences carried out by the NGOs. I leave it to their judicious mind, for it is they who have to define what they want to do and accordingly function: just have workshops and conferences or really work.
Q. How would you define the role of an NGO? Does NGOs involved in prevention of CSA have an important role to play in tracking the abusers?
A. If at all they are an NGO with the principal of eradication of a problem (not just the problem of CSA), then it is their genuine duty to ensure that the problem is uprooted in its totality. Just to track a problem and then leave it to destiny, that’s not the way an NGO should function. What they start they should take it to the finish. It doesn’t matter if they identify one or two cases for it will expose what they call an “organised network which is institutionalized”. If the NGOs investigate properly with the help of investigating authorities then the “organised network which is institutionalized” will be exposed and the message will go across the society that CSA won’t tolerated in Goa.
Q. Do you agree with the manner in which NGO's go about formulating policies to combat CSA and trafficking without proper study?
A. For the first time I am hearing that CSA in Goa is an “organised network which is institutionalized”. This argument is not true. I don’t say that just for the sake of saying, I mean it. We are encouraging policies to combat trafficking of persons to ensure that the problem is nipped in the bud. If we don’t bother about the issue and leave it to destiny then problems may arise. That shouldn’t happen. We want to ensure that Goa becomes a perfect child friendly state.
Q. Has Goa Children’s Act ensured justice to all children who are victims of sexual abuse?
A. No. There is still much to be done. Awareness amongst people and alertness amongst young generation has to be made. For the same we have set up the State Commission for Children. Moreover, Women and Child department will tie up with Education department to spread awareness about rights and duties of children.
“Tracking paedophiles is not an NGO’s job but of investigating agencies”: Desai.
Interview with Nishta Desai, President , Children’s Rights Goa (CRG), INDIA
Q. In your book See the Evil you state, "there are not less than 'hundreds' of paedophiles operating in Goa in each tourist season". How do you arrive at this figure?
A. It is 'not less than 100'. This estimate was arrived at on the basis of a survey conducted; work in the field, cases reported to us, what community members say etc.
Q. In your recent book Child Sexual Abuse in Goa, you state that many paedophiles still come to Goa. With this knowledge in hand, what are you doing to track down the paedophiles?
A. CRG is primarily involved in prevention of CSA. For this we strive to empower children to protect themselves through our interaction with children. Our campaign against paedophilia and advocacy measures engages the community and the authorities, respectively. Apart from this, when we receive complaints, we verify details of the complaint and inform the police. We have said that when there has been grave suspicion against a travelling sex offender and for various reasons he/she has not been prosecuted, then such persons should be denied visas - as in the cases of Ernie Jean Francois, Allan Dow, John Middleton, Jorg Harry Ringelmann, etc. Tracking paedophiles is not the job of an NGO. We have neither the resources nor the authority to do it. This is the job of the investigating agencies.
Q. How many foreign paedophiles operate in Goa? And how does this "organised and already fairly institutionalised" network work in Goa?
A. I do not have a head count of paedophiles, only an estimate. My book See the Evil will answer this question.
Q. Women and Child Minister Subhash Shirodkar in a recent interview to BBC world service said that the issue of paedophilia is a little hyped and added, "NGOs are not complaining to me. What prevents them, when every week and every month, they meet me?" Have the NGO's working with children failed to report the facts to the Minister in their urge to partner with the state to make child friendly policies?
A. I agree that the issue of paedophilia is hyped and have said so in various interviews, but significantly, media persons have failed to quote me on this. I have also said that this is NOT a Goa-specific problem but a problem that is prevalent in all major tourist destinations, which is also rarely quoted.
With regard to political will, it has to be seen in perspective. There was a time when there was outright denial on the part of the state that tourism related paedophilia in Goa was an issue. Today, it is acknowledged. What is required now is to invoke the provisions in Goa Children's Act, 2003. For this we are working with the government, police, prosecution machinery, medico-legal fraternity and the community. Striving for child friendly policies has consistently been our endeavour. To have effective child protection mechanisms in place, it is essential for NGOs to work in partnership with government.
Q. Why has there been no conviction of paedophiles in the recent past? Besides the failure of the state machinery, doesn't it also show the failure of NGOs working with children?
A. From the last two cases that came before the Children's Court we learnt that there is the need for a witness protection programme to prevent witnesses turning hostile. This could be partly achieved by setting up of a Victims Assistance Unit. Having said this, every agency has a role to play in child protection. For example, when the media has reported cases of offenders operating, NGOs have asked the media to share information so that steps can be taken against the perpetrator, but the media hasn't always cooperated. I think when it comes to child protection we all need to think of how we can be more effective in what we do. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
“It is NGOs duty to ensure that the problem is totally eradicated”: Shirodkar
Interview with Mr Subhash Shirodkar, Minister - Women and Child Department, Government of Goa, INDIA.
Q. Why do you say that the issue of paedophilia is a little hyped up in Goa?
A. Unless and until I see or hear about the cases of paedophilia and get it confirmed, why should I believe it? It is my nature, that I don’t believe anything –good or bad—just by hearsay. Moreover, where is the data to prove the claim? Of course, I have verified with the police department and there are few cases but they are not just cases of paedophilia.
Q. NGOs have been vocal about the problems of CSA to the press. It is surprising that they have never complained to you. Comment.
A. It is been 19 months since I took over as the Women and Child minister. No one has come and reported to me about a child or girl who is being exploited. If the traffickers and trafficked victims are operating in Goa, then they won’t just run away. They would be definitely operating repeatedly at the same spot. If the NGO’s have spotted such things they should come and tell me. I am always open to it. I can depute my people and also inform the police.
Q. Are you scared that if the government takes up the problem of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in a forthright manner, then the state could loose tourist revenue?
A. At what cost? At the cost of our own children! I shall be the last person to consider such an economic or financial statement that if we investigate we would loose tourist revenue.
Q. If you believe that CSA is not at all a problem in the state, then why did you encourage NGO's to have consultations, meetings and workshops with Women and Child department officials?
A. To deal with problems of CSA and other problems of street children and commercial sexual exploitation we promote the NGOs. The problem has to be nipped in the bud to ensure a safe future for our children. This is the reason why we encourage the NGOs. NGOs need to be there. But I wouldn’t like to comment on the workshops and conferences carried out by the NGOs. I leave it to their judicious mind, for it is they who have to define what they want to do and accordingly function: just have workshops and conferences or really work.
Q. How would you define the role of an NGO? Does NGOs involved in prevention of CSA have an important role to play in tracking the abusers?
A. If at all they are an NGO with the principal of eradication of a problem (not just the problem of CSA), then it is their genuine duty to ensure that the problem is uprooted in its totality. Just to track a problem and then leave it to destiny, that’s not the way an NGO should function. What they start they should take it to the finish. It doesn’t matter if they identify one or two cases for it will expose what they call an “organised network which is institutionalized”. If the NGOs investigate properly with the help of investigating authorities then the “organised network which is institutionalized” will be exposed and the message will go across the society that CSA won’t tolerated in Goa.
Q. Do you agree with the manner in which NGO's go about formulating policies to combat CSA and trafficking without proper study?
A. For the first time I am hearing that CSA in Goa is an “organised network which is institutionalized”. This argument is not true. I don’t say that just for the sake of saying, I mean it. We are encouraging policies to combat trafficking of persons to ensure that the problem is nipped in the bud. If we don’t bother about the issue and leave it to destiny then problems may arise. That shouldn’t happen. We want to ensure that Goa becomes a perfect child friendly state.
Q. Has Goa Children’s Act ensured justice to all children who are victims of sexual abuse?
A. No. There is still much to be done. Awareness amongst people and alertness amongst young generation has to be made. For the same we have set up the State Commission for Children. Moreover, Women and Child department will tie up with Education department to spread awareness about rights and duties of children.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Trafficking comparitively low in Goa: Dr PM Nair
Trafficking comparitively low in Goa: Dr PM Nair
Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Goa Edition, India
Goa is considered to have the highest levels of inter-state
trafficking of persons compared to other states, thanks to an NHRC
study. The man behind the report was an IPS officer Dr PM Nair, who
was the Principal investigator-Researcher for the project and the
present Project Coordinator of Anti Human Trafficking, UNODC, which is
training Goa police. PREETU NAIR catches up with Dr Nair, who reveals
that it is wrong to say that Goa has highest inter-state trafficking
compared to the other states. Besides, he candidly admits that some
NGO's working on the issue of trafficking in Goa, don't know the basic
difference between trafficking and prostitution.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. How did you arrive at a conclusion that Goa has the highest levels
of inter-state trafficking in the country?
A. For the study, random sampling of 4006 persons across the country
was done. In Baina, we went around 150 houses. The study showed
various dimensions of inter-state and intra-state trafficking. From
this we came to a conclusion that intra-state trafficking is quite
high in other states compared to Goa.
Q. So you agree that it is wrong to say that Goa has the highest
levels of inter-state trafficking of persons compared to other states?
A. Yes. Absolutely. You can't say that Goa has the highest inter-state
trafficking compared to the other states. Infact, you can't say that
trafficking is high or low at any place it. Even if there is no
trafficking crime, trafficking may take place.
Q. Various NGO's are simultaneously conducting training programmes and
workshops for sensitising police about trafficking. Don't you think
too many cooks spoil the broth and create confused policemen?
A. Before we embarked on this training programme, we did a training
need analysis, for which we called senior and junior officers and
functionaries in the police station. I was surprised when over 50
percent of them said that they had attended few "workshops" in the
last five years in Goa and learnt that paedophilia exists and there is
sex tourism. However, they were blissfully unaware of how to address
the issue, investigate it and take it to its logical conclusion. The
so-called "workshops" were on limited issues, depending on the
requirement of the NGO or funding agency. However, UNODC's empowerment
programme is in partnership of GoI, state government and UN with a
regular, structured and focussed training program after which we
expect some accountability as we will be asking the police what they
have done.
Q. Don't you think that the NGO's in Goa themselves need to be trained
and sensitised about handling issues on trafficking?
A. There is no doubt about it because during the training needs
analysis we had invited few NGO's and we found that many of them were
still unaware of the dimensions of trafficking. Surprisingly, many
still believe prostitution is trafficking and trafficking is
prostitution. To remove this mystification there is a definite
requirement to train the NGO's working in this field.
Q. Did these NGO's in the past ever conduct workshops for sensitising
the police?
A. Yes, some of them have.
Q. Can you name the NGO's?
A. No. That won't be proper (smiles).
Q. How much of the money given to combat trafficking in persons has
actually reached the trafficked victims?
A. This is the problem with the workshop-conference culture. We at
UNODC don't believe in this and expect accountability.
Q. Don't you think that just training programs without proper
rehabilitation is futile to combat trafficking?
A. Yes. Law enforcement has to have corresponding activities by
development agencies. The networking between the police department and
other departments will be developed in such a way that once the police
rescue the person, the other departments will also have its
responsibility.
Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Goa Edition, India
Goa is considered to have the highest levels of inter-state
trafficking of persons compared to other states, thanks to an NHRC
study. The man behind the report was an IPS officer Dr PM Nair, who
was the Principal investigator-Researcher for the project and the
present Project Coordinator of Anti Human Trafficking, UNODC, which is
training Goa police. PREETU NAIR catches up with Dr Nair, who reveals
that it is wrong to say that Goa has highest inter-state trafficking
compared to the other states. Besides, he candidly admits that some
NGO's working on the issue of trafficking in Goa, don't know the basic
difference between trafficking and prostitution.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. How did you arrive at a conclusion that Goa has the highest levels
of inter-state trafficking in the country?
A. For the study, random sampling of 4006 persons across the country
was done. In Baina, we went around 150 houses. The study showed
various dimensions of inter-state and intra-state trafficking. From
this we came to a conclusion that intra-state trafficking is quite
high in other states compared to Goa.
Q. So you agree that it is wrong to say that Goa has the highest
levels of inter-state trafficking of persons compared to other states?
A. Yes. Absolutely. You can't say that Goa has the highest inter-state
trafficking compared to the other states. Infact, you can't say that
trafficking is high or low at any place it. Even if there is no
trafficking crime, trafficking may take place.
Q. Various NGO's are simultaneously conducting training programmes and
workshops for sensitising police about trafficking. Don't you think
too many cooks spoil the broth and create confused policemen?
A. Before we embarked on this training programme, we did a training
need analysis, for which we called senior and junior officers and
functionaries in the police station. I was surprised when over 50
percent of them said that they had attended few "workshops" in the
last five years in Goa and learnt that paedophilia exists and there is
sex tourism. However, they were blissfully unaware of how to address
the issue, investigate it and take it to its logical conclusion. The
so-called "workshops" were on limited issues, depending on the
requirement of the NGO or funding agency. However, UNODC's empowerment
programme is in partnership of GoI, state government and UN with a
regular, structured and focussed training program after which we
expect some accountability as we will be asking the police what they
have done.
Q. Don't you think that the NGO's in Goa themselves need to be trained
and sensitised about handling issues on trafficking?
A. There is no doubt about it because during the training needs
analysis we had invited few NGO's and we found that many of them were
still unaware of the dimensions of trafficking. Surprisingly, many
still believe prostitution is trafficking and trafficking is
prostitution. To remove this mystification there is a definite
requirement to train the NGO's working in this field.
Q. Did these NGO's in the past ever conduct workshops for sensitising
the police?
A. Yes, some of them have.
Q. Can you name the NGO's?
A. No. That won't be proper (smiles).
Q. How much of the money given to combat trafficking in persons has
actually reached the trafficked victims?
A. This is the problem with the workshop-conference culture. We at
UNODC don't believe in this and expect accountability.
Q. Don't you think that just training programs without proper
rehabilitation is futile to combat trafficking?
A. Yes. Law enforcement has to have corresponding activities by
development agencies. The networking between the police department and
other departments will be developed in such a way that once the police
rescue the person, the other departments will also have its
responsibility.
Friday, January 05, 2007
‘OUTSOURCING’- GOA STYLE
‘OUTSOURCING’- GOA STYLE
PETER DE SOUZA & PREETU NAIR
This is a stuff mafia thrillers are made up of. And it’s all happening in Goa…
We looks into the whole business of drug ‘outsourcing’ an investigates the entire modus operandi of Goa drug lords who use ‘carbonised’ suitcases and minor drug carriers to export the stuff out of Goa. Pressure to sell drugs outside has increased following a major crackdown on rave parties and drug syndicated in the state.
THE MEN: Israeli drug lord Agai and his middleman Amir. (there are other smaller kingpins)
THE METHODS: Lock kiya Jaye: The suitcases used to transport drugs through carriers are bought from a shop in Panjim by an employee of that very shop for about Rs 6000 and delivered it to a former Sarpanch of Anjuna, who stays near Starco.
He puts carbonized compartments in the suitcase and sells it to another at Monkey Valley for Rs 25,000. This person neatly packs the suitcase for Israeli drug middleman Amir who hands it over to the carriers most often unsuspecting minors. It is very difficult to get an image of the goods stored in a carbonized compartment in an X-ray, until there is some error.
Amir’s methods:
Cocaine is cool and so are we: H e befriends minor kids and introduces them to cocaine. He then gives them food, shelter and money. Once they are hooked to the drug, he forces them to carry the drug consignments to its foreign destination.
Clothes unmaketh the man or woman: He befriends minor kids and wins their trust. He lures them with gifts and after winning their confidence, offers them an all paid trip abroad with a minor request that they carry a bag of designer clothes to be picked up by his friend at the destination airport. His real designs are obviously different.
THE MADNESS
An Italian minor girl is caught at the Dabolim airport, Goa with ecstasy tablets and MDMA drugs on March 14. She was due to board an Indian Airlines flight to Mumbai enroute to Auckland (New Zealand) via Singapore. Arrested under the NDPS Act and sent to Apna Ghar, Merces.
-born to an Italian mother and Indian father, she was studying in Mumbai. After her standard X exams she came down to her sister's place in Anjuna. In Goa, she was spotted almost at all parties
-at one of these parties, she met a 23-year-old Israeli, popularly known as DJ Tamar. Soon they fell in love and were seen together
-Was also noticed by Amir. Amir befriended her and convinced her to take a fully paid trip aboard. Her boyfriend DJ Tomar was initially kept in the dark.
-After her arrest, her boyfriend was brutally beaten up at a popular bar “Nine Bar” in Anjuna by a few cops in plain clothes. The cops wanted the boyfriend not to give any statement about his suspicions about Amir or the big lord Agai.
-Later, a controversial nightclub owner, who's operating on government land, invited DJ Tamar to perform between 12 to 2 am. Eyewitnesses reveal that as soon as the music started six people overpowered and beat him. "He was profusely bleeding. Then they put a gun on his crotch and threatened to kill him in an encounter if he disclosed the name of the drug lord”
THE LATEST ‘CASE’ STUDY OF GOAS DRUG BUSINESS
PETER DE SOUZA & PREETU NAIR
ANJUNA: The arrest of Italian national, a minor girl, at the Dabolim airport by the custom officials have brought to fore the so far unexposed racket of the drug mafia who use unsuspecting minor kids to serve as drug couriers or "mules" abroad.
The girl was caught at the airport on March 14 at 7 am with 3560 "ecstasy" tablets and 760 gram of MDMA worth Rs 55 lakh in the Indian market and Rs 60 crore in the international market. She was to board an Indian Airlines flight to Mumbai for Auckland via Singapore. Superintendent of customs GD Lotlikar had said that as she went through customs, when her black bag was detected containing ecstasy tablets and MDMA hidden in a secret compartment by the X-ray machine. She has been charged under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Customs Act and is at the moment relinquishing at Apna Ghar, Merces.
GT/Weekender investigations reveal that with a crackdown on the rave party organizers, the business in the Goa market was dull this season. As a result, the drug mafia is now "outsourcing" synthetic drugs to foreign shores using minor kids. "This year several kilograms of coke and MDMA has been unsold and unused as several rave parties have been clamped down. These synthetic drugs have shelf life of 500 days only. If they are sold within this time, quality deteriorates," revealed a police officer.
It is reliably learnt that drug peddlers sell 10 percent of the synthetic drug in the open market, 40 percent at rave parties and 50 percent is sent to the cosmopolitan cities in the country. Highly placed sources in the police reveal that there was a time when the drug mafia used to sell drugs worth Rs 5 crore plus at the six-day rave party organized near a popular school in Anjuna. "However, due to some controversy surrounding the venue, they couldn't sell drugs here this year", the source added.
The angelic looking demure, Italian girl is just one of the victims. Sources in the Customs and police reveal that the brain behind the whole racket is Israeli drug lord Agai, who operates through another middleman Amir, an Israeli. GT/Weekender investigations reveal that while Amir acts as a middleman between the drug dealers and carriers. Most of the drugs are ‘bought’ by a top international dealer in Japan who purchases these drugs and supplies it to various countries, mostly to Turkey and Germany, for music trance festival or rave parties.
Amir, a young and charming man, is in Goa since long and runs a designer clothes shop at Anjuna. His main job is to strike a deal between the dealers and young carriers. He never discloses the source to the young carriers.
The script of Goa’s expert drug exporters
METHOD 1: Cocaine is cool and so are we: H e befriends minor kids and introduces them to cocaine. Then he caters to their needs and provides them with food, stay and money. Once they are hooked to the drug, he forces them to carry the drug consignments to its foreign destination.
KNOWN VICTIMS: Two minors who had fallen victim to this trick and were caught in Mumbai are a Isareli boy and a German girl. Sources reveal that there are four other minor victims of Amir who were caught in Mumbai, but it couldn't be confirmed.
METHOD 2: Clothes unmaketh the man(or woman): He befriends minor kids and wins their trust. He lures them with gifts and pretends to be their closest buddy, who understands their dreams and aspirations. After winning their confidence, when they don't bother to ask him any questions, he offers them an all paid trip abroad but with a simple condition: "you will have to carry a briefcase with my designer clothes with you, which will collected by friend at the airport". The ' innocent possessors' are tricked into carrying the drug.
KNOWN VICTIM : The Italian girl had to pay a heavy price for befriending Amir.
Reliable sources inform that after the minor girl was caught, the drug lords called an emergency meeting at a shack run by a top Russian drug lord at Vithaldas vaddo in Morjim. Both Amir and Agai were present at the meeting. "After the meeting, Amir was advised to leave the state as Custom officials were for on his trail. We suspect that he paid 8000 US dollar to get a safe passage out from the country," added a top police official.
When GT contacted DIG Ujjwal Mishra he said, "As far as we know, we have been told that she was carrying the drug for personal consumption and very little for selling in a party." He completely denied the abuse of minors by the drug lords for "outsourcing" drugs. "I have no knowledge about it," he added.
It is really strange that a girl who carries so much of drugs for consumption leads a very normal life at Apna Ghar! Sources at Apna Ghar reveal, "She has no withdrawal symptoms, eats only vegetarian food and performs yoga everyday."
MINOR GIRL'S STORY
The minor girl, by now, should have been relaxing in Auckland. But at the moment, the 18-year-old Italian backpacker, is preparing for another night in Apna Ghar, a home for juveniles in conflict with the law, after her Auckland trip via Singapore turned into a nightmare.
Sources reveal that the girl, born to an Italian mother and an Indian father was studying in a boarding school in Mumbai. After her standard X exams she came down to her sister's place in Anjuna. In Goa, she was spotted almost at all parties, smiling and dancing with her friends. She was also seen at rave parties and high night parties at the coastal belt in North Goa.
It's at one such party that she met 23-year-old Israeli, popularly known as DJ Tamar. Soon they fell in love and the couple was spotted at all the parties were Tamar performed as a DJ. A beautiful girl, she was also noticed by Amir. Amir befriended her and after winning her trust convinced her to take a fully paid trip aboard. Her boyfriend DJ Tomar was kept in the dark.
Two days after the girl was arrested, her boyfriend was beaten up at a place called Nine Bar by a few cops in plain uniform. Later, a controversial nightclub owner, who's operating on government land, invited DJ Tamar to perform between 12 to 2 am. Eyewitnesses reveal that so sooner did the music start, six people overpowered him and beat him. "He was profusely bleeding. Then they put a gun on his crotch and threatened to kill him in an encounter if he disclosed the name of the person who put the minor girl in trouble. They then asked him to leave the state immediately. DJ Tomar left the state few days later.
Our sources also reveal that the drug lords and controversial cops have threatened the minor girl and her mother and asked them to maintain a stoic silence. No wonder, when GT/Weekender tried to meet them to get their side of the story, they refused to meet us.
The suitcases used for journey are brought from a shop in Panjim. An employee of the suitcase shop, married to a family in Siolim, buys the expensive branded suitcases ranging from Rs 5000 to 6000 and delivers it to a former Sarpanch of Anjuna, who stays near Starco. He and his workers use their expertise to put carbonized compartments in the suitcase. They then sell it to another person who stays at Monkey Valley for Rs 25,000. This person neatly packs the suitcase for Amir and he hands it over to the minor. It is very difficult to get an image of the goods stored in a carbonized compartment in an X-ray, until there is some error.
The drug mafia looks for minor victims on one major ground:
FOR A MAJOR: Penalties for possession of narcotic substances can be severe. There is a minimum sentence of six months for possession of small amounts for personal consumption only. However, a 10-year sentence for possession of other amounts applies. The slow judicial process means that lengthy pre-trial detention, usually of several years, is the norm.
FOR A MINOR: Under the Juvenile Justice Act, if the juvenile commits a bailable or non-bailable offence, the child shall be released on bail with or without surety. Further detention can only be in observation home and not in prison or police station. The bail provisions for young offenders are far more liberal than those applicable under the criminal procedure
(Article appeared in GT Weekender, Panjim Edition, Goa)
PETER DE SOUZA & PREETU NAIR
This is a stuff mafia thrillers are made up of. And it’s all happening in Goa…
We looks into the whole business of drug ‘outsourcing’ an investigates the entire modus operandi of Goa drug lords who use ‘carbonised’ suitcases and minor drug carriers to export the stuff out of Goa. Pressure to sell drugs outside has increased following a major crackdown on rave parties and drug syndicated in the state.
THE MEN: Israeli drug lord Agai and his middleman Amir. (there are other smaller kingpins)
THE METHODS: Lock kiya Jaye: The suitcases used to transport drugs through carriers are bought from a shop in Panjim by an employee of that very shop for about Rs 6000 and delivered it to a former Sarpanch of Anjuna, who stays near Starco.
He puts carbonized compartments in the suitcase and sells it to another at Monkey Valley for Rs 25,000. This person neatly packs the suitcase for Israeli drug middleman Amir who hands it over to the carriers most often unsuspecting minors. It is very difficult to get an image of the goods stored in a carbonized compartment in an X-ray, until there is some error.
Amir’s methods:
Cocaine is cool and so are we: H e befriends minor kids and introduces them to cocaine. He then gives them food, shelter and money. Once they are hooked to the drug, he forces them to carry the drug consignments to its foreign destination.
Clothes unmaketh the man or woman: He befriends minor kids and wins their trust. He lures them with gifts and after winning their confidence, offers them an all paid trip abroad with a minor request that they carry a bag of designer clothes to be picked up by his friend at the destination airport. His real designs are obviously different.
THE MADNESS
An Italian minor girl is caught at the Dabolim airport, Goa with ecstasy tablets and MDMA drugs on March 14. She was due to board an Indian Airlines flight to Mumbai enroute to Auckland (New Zealand) via Singapore. Arrested under the NDPS Act and sent to Apna Ghar, Merces.
-born to an Italian mother and Indian father, she was studying in Mumbai. After her standard X exams she came down to her sister's place in Anjuna. In Goa, she was spotted almost at all parties
-at one of these parties, she met a 23-year-old Israeli, popularly known as DJ Tamar. Soon they fell in love and were seen together
-Was also noticed by Amir. Amir befriended her and convinced her to take a fully paid trip aboard. Her boyfriend DJ Tomar was initially kept in the dark.
-After her arrest, her boyfriend was brutally beaten up at a popular bar “Nine Bar” in Anjuna by a few cops in plain clothes. The cops wanted the boyfriend not to give any statement about his suspicions about Amir or the big lord Agai.
-Later, a controversial nightclub owner, who's operating on government land, invited DJ Tamar to perform between 12 to 2 am. Eyewitnesses reveal that as soon as the music started six people overpowered and beat him. "He was profusely bleeding. Then they put a gun on his crotch and threatened to kill him in an encounter if he disclosed the name of the drug lord”
THE LATEST ‘CASE’ STUDY OF GOAS DRUG BUSINESS
PETER DE SOUZA & PREETU NAIR
ANJUNA: The arrest of Italian national, a minor girl, at the Dabolim airport by the custom officials have brought to fore the so far unexposed racket of the drug mafia who use unsuspecting minor kids to serve as drug couriers or "mules" abroad.
The girl was caught at the airport on March 14 at 7 am with 3560 "ecstasy" tablets and 760 gram of MDMA worth Rs 55 lakh in the Indian market and Rs 60 crore in the international market. She was to board an Indian Airlines flight to Mumbai for Auckland via Singapore. Superintendent of customs GD Lotlikar had said that as she went through customs, when her black bag was detected containing ecstasy tablets and MDMA hidden in a secret compartment by the X-ray machine. She has been charged under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Customs Act and is at the moment relinquishing at Apna Ghar, Merces.
GT/Weekender investigations reveal that with a crackdown on the rave party organizers, the business in the Goa market was dull this season. As a result, the drug mafia is now "outsourcing" synthetic drugs to foreign shores using minor kids. "This year several kilograms of coke and MDMA has been unsold and unused as several rave parties have been clamped down. These synthetic drugs have shelf life of 500 days only. If they are sold within this time, quality deteriorates," revealed a police officer.
It is reliably learnt that drug peddlers sell 10 percent of the synthetic drug in the open market, 40 percent at rave parties and 50 percent is sent to the cosmopolitan cities in the country. Highly placed sources in the police reveal that there was a time when the drug mafia used to sell drugs worth Rs 5 crore plus at the six-day rave party organized near a popular school in Anjuna. "However, due to some controversy surrounding the venue, they couldn't sell drugs here this year", the source added.
The angelic looking demure, Italian girl is just one of the victims. Sources in the Customs and police reveal that the brain behind the whole racket is Israeli drug lord Agai, who operates through another middleman Amir, an Israeli. GT/Weekender investigations reveal that while Amir acts as a middleman between the drug dealers and carriers. Most of the drugs are ‘bought’ by a top international dealer in Japan who purchases these drugs and supplies it to various countries, mostly to Turkey and Germany, for music trance festival or rave parties.
Amir, a young and charming man, is in Goa since long and runs a designer clothes shop at Anjuna. His main job is to strike a deal between the dealers and young carriers. He never discloses the source to the young carriers.
The script of Goa’s expert drug exporters
METHOD 1: Cocaine is cool and so are we: H e befriends minor kids and introduces them to cocaine. Then he caters to their needs and provides them with food, stay and money. Once they are hooked to the drug, he forces them to carry the drug consignments to its foreign destination.
KNOWN VICTIMS: Two minors who had fallen victim to this trick and were caught in Mumbai are a Isareli boy and a German girl. Sources reveal that there are four other minor victims of Amir who were caught in Mumbai, but it couldn't be confirmed.
METHOD 2: Clothes unmaketh the man(or woman): He befriends minor kids and wins their trust. He lures them with gifts and pretends to be their closest buddy, who understands their dreams and aspirations. After winning their confidence, when they don't bother to ask him any questions, he offers them an all paid trip abroad but with a simple condition: "you will have to carry a briefcase with my designer clothes with you, which will collected by friend at the airport". The ' innocent possessors' are tricked into carrying the drug.
KNOWN VICTIM : The Italian girl had to pay a heavy price for befriending Amir.
Reliable sources inform that after the minor girl was caught, the drug lords called an emergency meeting at a shack run by a top Russian drug lord at Vithaldas vaddo in Morjim. Both Amir and Agai were present at the meeting. "After the meeting, Amir was advised to leave the state as Custom officials were for on his trail. We suspect that he paid 8000 US dollar to get a safe passage out from the country," added a top police official.
When GT contacted DIG Ujjwal Mishra he said, "As far as we know, we have been told that she was carrying the drug for personal consumption and very little for selling in a party." He completely denied the abuse of minors by the drug lords for "outsourcing" drugs. "I have no knowledge about it," he added.
It is really strange that a girl who carries so much of drugs for consumption leads a very normal life at Apna Ghar! Sources at Apna Ghar reveal, "She has no withdrawal symptoms, eats only vegetarian food and performs yoga everyday."
MINOR GIRL'S STORY
The minor girl, by now, should have been relaxing in Auckland. But at the moment, the 18-year-old Italian backpacker, is preparing for another night in Apna Ghar, a home for juveniles in conflict with the law, after her Auckland trip via Singapore turned into a nightmare.
Sources reveal that the girl, born to an Italian mother and an Indian father was studying in a boarding school in Mumbai. After her standard X exams she came down to her sister's place in Anjuna. In Goa, she was spotted almost at all parties, smiling and dancing with her friends. She was also seen at rave parties and high night parties at the coastal belt in North Goa.
It's at one such party that she met 23-year-old Israeli, popularly known as DJ Tamar. Soon they fell in love and the couple was spotted at all the parties were Tamar performed as a DJ. A beautiful girl, she was also noticed by Amir. Amir befriended her and after winning her trust convinced her to take a fully paid trip aboard. Her boyfriend DJ Tomar was kept in the dark.
Two days after the girl was arrested, her boyfriend was beaten up at a place called Nine Bar by a few cops in plain uniform. Later, a controversial nightclub owner, who's operating on government land, invited DJ Tamar to perform between 12 to 2 am. Eyewitnesses reveal that so sooner did the music start, six people overpowered him and beat him. "He was profusely bleeding. Then they put a gun on his crotch and threatened to kill him in an encounter if he disclosed the name of the person who put the minor girl in trouble. They then asked him to leave the state immediately. DJ Tomar left the state few days later.
Our sources also reveal that the drug lords and controversial cops have threatened the minor girl and her mother and asked them to maintain a stoic silence. No wonder, when GT/Weekender tried to meet them to get their side of the story, they refused to meet us.
The suitcases used for journey are brought from a shop in Panjim. An employee of the suitcase shop, married to a family in Siolim, buys the expensive branded suitcases ranging from Rs 5000 to 6000 and delivers it to a former Sarpanch of Anjuna, who stays near Starco. He and his workers use their expertise to put carbonized compartments in the suitcase. They then sell it to another person who stays at Monkey Valley for Rs 25,000. This person neatly packs the suitcase for Amir and he hands it over to the minor. It is very difficult to get an image of the goods stored in a carbonized compartment in an X-ray, until there is some error.
The drug mafia looks for minor victims on one major ground:
FOR A MAJOR: Penalties for possession of narcotic substances can be severe. There is a minimum sentence of six months for possession of small amounts for personal consumption only. However, a 10-year sentence for possession of other amounts applies. The slow judicial process means that lengthy pre-trial detention, usually of several years, is the norm.
FOR A MINOR: Under the Juvenile Justice Act, if the juvenile commits a bailable or non-bailable offence, the child shall be released on bail with or without surety. Further detention can only be in observation home and not in prison or police station. The bail provisions for young offenders are far more liberal than those applicable under the criminal procedure
(Article appeared in GT Weekender, Panjim Edition, Goa)
Friday, December 29, 2006
No bar on bar girls this Christmas season-Dance you blues away in Goa with girls from Mumbai
GOA SEASON OF WINE AND WOMEN
PREETU NAIR & PETER DE SOUZA
PANJIM: This may well be even more 'grand' than International Film Festival of India-2006, (IFFI-06), which was termed as the greatest show of the year. And why not, when it 'cheers' the hearts of thousands who have 'invaded' Goa this Christmas season.
The show is on. The 'damsels' of the Mumbai dance bars with their jhatkas are here to sizzle Goa.With hundreds of single, rich men, both Indians and foreigners, coming down to Goa during the peak season, there is a high demand for girls to accompany these men to the night clubs and rave parties.
And this demand is being fulfilled by the bar girls from Mumbai who flock to Goa in a group of 10 or 15. The money is good and the girls believe that it is better to be on home turf rather than be trapped in an unknown country.
Varsha Kale, president, Bharatiya Bar Girls Union agrees, "We have found that there is a huge demand for bar girls in Goa since December 15. Girls prefer to go to Goa instead of far-flung destinations abroad as it is safe".
She added, "Moreover, unlike in the past when the girls were paid Rs 1 lakh or more for a show abroad, now they are paid around Rs 30,000 or even less". Compare this with what they earn in Goa from Christmas to Valentine's Day: more than Rs 30,000 a month, depending on the work, attractiveness and personality of the girl.
Arun Pandey of NGO Arz, which is conducting a study on "Impact of ban on dancing in bars in Mumbai", admits, "Goa is one of the major destinations for trafficking of bar girls. It is well-organized and generates huge money for the entire chain of perpetrators and traffickers."
Incidentally, our investigations reveal that it is not only the perpetrators and traffickers who earn money. Even few men in khaki earn anything between Rs 50,000 and more a month, for turning a blind eye to the whole affair. No wonder, though the Margao police have caught Anthony Britto, the main supplier of bar girls in Goa, they have failed to catch his much more powerful accomplices Anish and Kumar, who traffic bar girls to Goa for commercial sex work with the blessings of corrupt policemen and politicians.
However, DGP BS Brar maintained, "If my policemen are doing something like this, I will definitely take action. We have taken action whenever we came across such individual cases. But I am not aware of any such organised activities."
GT goes beyond the obvious and digs further to reveal the prominent places where the bar girls are high in demand:
BAR BAR DEKHO
PLACE: Nightclubs
CUSTOMERS: Single, Indian male
CHARGES: Rs 2000 to 5000 for two hours
MODUS OPERANDI: The agents approach the Indian tourists visiting the nightclubs, majority of which insist on couple entry. Once the deal is stuck, the agent drops a girl at a decided destination, from where the customer picks up the girl, so that there is no suspicion. During the peak season the business is huge.
RAVE ALONG
PLACE: Rave parties
CUSTOMERS: Foreigners
CHARGES: $ 500 (around Rs 22,500) per hour
MODUS OPERANDI: There is a big demand for slim, beautiful, young, brown skinned women amongst foreigners. The money is also big for the girls as they are paid nothing less than Rs 50,000 per month for their services by the agent. However, there is a catch here. Often, the girls are forced to have unprotected sex at the rave party site itself. Otherwise, the girls are safe as the agent helps them and ensures complete protection.
INTERESTING SIDELIGHT: Contrary to DGP Brar's claim that there has not been a single rave party in the last ten days, GT investigations reveal that rave parties continue at Anjuna and Pernem. The latest big rave party started on Christmas afternoon and ended two days later.
MASS OPPOSE
PLACE: Massage parlours
CUSTOMERS: Not fixed
CHARGES: Rs 2000 to 5000 per hour, depending on the type of massage the customer wants
MODUS OPERANDI: Young Nepali and Rajasthani girls who were trafficked to Mumbai to work in the bars are now trafficked to Goa to work in the massage parlours to do exotic body massage.
INTERSTING SIDELIGHT: Tired of the police inaction against the massage parlours which employ scantily clad bargirls in Calangute, the locals rang up the Crime branch a week back and informed them that they fear two terrorists are hiding in the area. When the officials from the Crime branch rushed to the spot, they were taken to the massage parlour and asked to take action against the operators. Infact, even in the past, the Calangute Gram Sabha had created a stir when they unanimously demanded action against those running the illegal activity.
BACHELOR'S DAY OUT
PLACE: Private parties at hotels or clubs
CUSTOMERS: Bachelors
CHARGES: Rs 25,000 for one night show plus extra
MODUS OPERANDI: A group of five girls generally dance for the bachelors, the Mumbaiya dance bar style, on someone's bidding.
INTERSTING SIDELIGHT: Now the bar girls are also invited to perform at birthday parties. Revealed a Minister who attended a six-year-old's birthday party in a five star resort in the North recently, "I was surprised to see the bar girls performing there."
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition, December 29,2006)
PREETU NAIR & PETER DE SOUZA
PANJIM: This may well be even more 'grand' than International Film Festival of India-2006, (IFFI-06), which was termed as the greatest show of the year. And why not, when it 'cheers' the hearts of thousands who have 'invaded' Goa this Christmas season.
The show is on. The 'damsels' of the Mumbai dance bars with their jhatkas are here to sizzle Goa.With hundreds of single, rich men, both Indians and foreigners, coming down to Goa during the peak season, there is a high demand for girls to accompany these men to the night clubs and rave parties.
And this demand is being fulfilled by the bar girls from Mumbai who flock to Goa in a group of 10 or 15. The money is good and the girls believe that it is better to be on home turf rather than be trapped in an unknown country.
Varsha Kale, president, Bharatiya Bar Girls Union agrees, "We have found that there is a huge demand for bar girls in Goa since December 15. Girls prefer to go to Goa instead of far-flung destinations abroad as it is safe".
She added, "Moreover, unlike in the past when the girls were paid Rs 1 lakh or more for a show abroad, now they are paid around Rs 30,000 or even less". Compare this with what they earn in Goa from Christmas to Valentine's Day: more than Rs 30,000 a month, depending on the work, attractiveness and personality of the girl.
Arun Pandey of NGO Arz, which is conducting a study on "Impact of ban on dancing in bars in Mumbai", admits, "Goa is one of the major destinations for trafficking of bar girls. It is well-organized and generates huge money for the entire chain of perpetrators and traffickers."
Incidentally, our investigations reveal that it is not only the perpetrators and traffickers who earn money. Even few men in khaki earn anything between Rs 50,000 and more a month, for turning a blind eye to the whole affair. No wonder, though the Margao police have caught Anthony Britto, the main supplier of bar girls in Goa, they have failed to catch his much more powerful accomplices Anish and Kumar, who traffic bar girls to Goa for commercial sex work with the blessings of corrupt policemen and politicians.
However, DGP BS Brar maintained, "If my policemen are doing something like this, I will definitely take action. We have taken action whenever we came across such individual cases. But I am not aware of any such organised activities."
GT goes beyond the obvious and digs further to reveal the prominent places where the bar girls are high in demand:
BAR BAR DEKHO
PLACE: Nightclubs
CUSTOMERS: Single, Indian male
CHARGES: Rs 2000 to 5000 for two hours
MODUS OPERANDI: The agents approach the Indian tourists visiting the nightclubs, majority of which insist on couple entry. Once the deal is stuck, the agent drops a girl at a decided destination, from where the customer picks up the girl, so that there is no suspicion. During the peak season the business is huge.
RAVE ALONG
PLACE: Rave parties
CUSTOMERS: Foreigners
CHARGES: $ 500 (around Rs 22,500) per hour
MODUS OPERANDI: There is a big demand for slim, beautiful, young, brown skinned women amongst foreigners. The money is also big for the girls as they are paid nothing less than Rs 50,000 per month for their services by the agent. However, there is a catch here. Often, the girls are forced to have unprotected sex at the rave party site itself. Otherwise, the girls are safe as the agent helps them and ensures complete protection.
INTERESTING SIDELIGHT: Contrary to DGP Brar's claim that there has not been a single rave party in the last ten days, GT investigations reveal that rave parties continue at Anjuna and Pernem. The latest big rave party started on Christmas afternoon and ended two days later.
MASS OPPOSE
PLACE: Massage parlours
CUSTOMERS: Not fixed
CHARGES: Rs 2000 to 5000 per hour, depending on the type of massage the customer wants
MODUS OPERANDI: Young Nepali and Rajasthani girls who were trafficked to Mumbai to work in the bars are now trafficked to Goa to work in the massage parlours to do exotic body massage.
INTERSTING SIDELIGHT: Tired of the police inaction against the massage parlours which employ scantily clad bargirls in Calangute, the locals rang up the Crime branch a week back and informed them that they fear two terrorists are hiding in the area. When the officials from the Crime branch rushed to the spot, they were taken to the massage parlour and asked to take action against the operators. Infact, even in the past, the Calangute Gram Sabha had created a stir when they unanimously demanded action against those running the illegal activity.
BACHELOR'S DAY OUT
PLACE: Private parties at hotels or clubs
CUSTOMERS: Bachelors
CHARGES: Rs 25,000 for one night show plus extra
MODUS OPERANDI: A group of five girls generally dance for the bachelors, the Mumbaiya dance bar style, on someone's bidding.
INTERSTING SIDELIGHT: Now the bar girls are also invited to perform at birthday parties. Revealed a Minister who attended a six-year-old's birthday party in a five star resort in the North recently, "I was surprised to see the bar girls performing there."
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim Edition, December 29,2006)
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Villagers of Saleli in Goa yearn for support, but there is none coming now.
They are fighting a lone battle-
Villagers of Saleli in Goa yearn for support, but there is none coming now.
PREETU NAIR
preetu.nair@gmail.com
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim edition , Goa dated 29 December,2006)
SALELI: When the villagers rose in revolt on December 28, 2005 against their Khase (landlord) and the stone crusher operators, they had a reason to be angry. But now a year later, the attitudes here are complex and results stark.
After the initial hue and cry, for many, the pain of Saleli villagers stayed largely invisible, rarely touching the consciousness. Even the Saleli Anyay Nivaran Kruti Samiti established to give villagers justice and comprising of "popular" human rights activists have failed to support them, leave aside ensuring justice. With the initial euphoria over, the hapless villagers are now fighting a lonely battle. "Now, we are fighting a lonely battle, with very few people to help and support us," said a villager N Gaonkar.
Still theirs is a tale of lives shattered, young men suddenly disappearing and families getting split due to financial problems. Now they find themselves on the crossroads. Living under grave limitations, knowing that the risks that they run are many, the villagers have started to feel the heat. Majority of them, especially men want to take the easy way out. While women like Radhika Gaonkar want to take the less travelled route, filled with unlimited struggle for survival.
Perhaps experience has taught 70-plus Radhika that this is their last chance to save themselves and the village. "If we fail now. We will never be able to raise again," she said. This wisdom comes from the bitter experiences she has had in the past.
The story goes like this. More than 30 years ago when the powerful Khase Krishnarao Rane sold off the kaju (cashew) plantations, on which the poor villagers depended for their livelihood, to the Forest department, they had united to fight against the decision and ensure that they get their land back. But their Khase, who promised them tenancy rights and jobs, divided them. Several years later, they are still trying to get tenancy rights.
"We were illiterate then and trusted our Khase. But he never helped us. Our literate youth should never fall into the divide and rule trap. If we are united, then sooner or later our demands will be met," opined Radhika. She and other women know it is time for them to continue the fight. If they don't, no one ever could.
However, her brave words fail to hide the fear that has gripped the village, which is reeling under the shock of the sudden disappearance of a young man with three children. Besides, since last one year, there have been two suicides and one accidental death in the village. This has left the villagers scared and they believe that the village is under an evil influence. "Such things ought to scare us and with no help in sight, things are only getting worse for us," said Chaya Gawas.
Moreover, they are disillusioned by the system and don't trust it anymore. No wonder when the government officials went to inspect the stone crushing units, the women gathered and demanded, "Before you start the crushers, please throw us in the Mandovi".
What really upsets the villagers most is that the uncertainty continues, as some people with the help of powerful local politicians indulge in divide and rule. And a walk in the village reveals a bigger and shocking reality: they have almost succeeded.
Villagers of Saleli in Goa yearn for support, but there is none coming now.
PREETU NAIR
preetu.nair@gmail.com
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim edition , Goa dated 29 December,2006)
SALELI: When the villagers rose in revolt on December 28, 2005 against their Khase (landlord) and the stone crusher operators, they had a reason to be angry. But now a year later, the attitudes here are complex and results stark.
After the initial hue and cry, for many, the pain of Saleli villagers stayed largely invisible, rarely touching the consciousness. Even the Saleli Anyay Nivaran Kruti Samiti established to give villagers justice and comprising of "popular" human rights activists have failed to support them, leave aside ensuring justice. With the initial euphoria over, the hapless villagers are now fighting a lonely battle. "Now, we are fighting a lonely battle, with very few people to help and support us," said a villager N Gaonkar.
Still theirs is a tale of lives shattered, young men suddenly disappearing and families getting split due to financial problems. Now they find themselves on the crossroads. Living under grave limitations, knowing that the risks that they run are many, the villagers have started to feel the heat. Majority of them, especially men want to take the easy way out. While women like Radhika Gaonkar want to take the less travelled route, filled with unlimited struggle for survival.
Perhaps experience has taught 70-plus Radhika that this is their last chance to save themselves and the village. "If we fail now. We will never be able to raise again," she said. This wisdom comes from the bitter experiences she has had in the past.
The story goes like this. More than 30 years ago when the powerful Khase Krishnarao Rane sold off the kaju (cashew) plantations, on which the poor villagers depended for their livelihood, to the Forest department, they had united to fight against the decision and ensure that they get their land back. But their Khase, who promised them tenancy rights and jobs, divided them. Several years later, they are still trying to get tenancy rights.
"We were illiterate then and trusted our Khase. But he never helped us. Our literate youth should never fall into the divide and rule trap. If we are united, then sooner or later our demands will be met," opined Radhika. She and other women know it is time for them to continue the fight. If they don't, no one ever could.
However, her brave words fail to hide the fear that has gripped the village, which is reeling under the shock of the sudden disappearance of a young man with three children. Besides, since last one year, there have been two suicides and one accidental death in the village. This has left the villagers scared and they believe that the village is under an evil influence. "Such things ought to scare us and with no help in sight, things are only getting worse for us," said Chaya Gawas.
Moreover, they are disillusioned by the system and don't trust it anymore. No wonder when the government officials went to inspect the stone crushing units, the women gathered and demanded, "Before you start the crushers, please throw us in the Mandovi".
What really upsets the villagers most is that the uncertainty continues, as some people with the help of powerful local politicians indulge in divide and rule. And a walk in the village reveals a bigger and shocking reality: they have almost succeeded.
Bloody Lords: In the heart of the Khase kingdom-GOA INDIA
PREETU NAIR
preetu.nair@gmail.com
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times,Panjim edition, India)
In the 18th century, the Ranes became the proprietors of the land and the villagers came under their domination. The Portuguese left but the villagers continued to be ruled by the Ranes. The ages of suppression and oppression finally raised the revolt against the Rane clan in Saleli village. Preetu Nair tries to find out why a 'God' fell off the pedestal.
SALELI: The young Krishnarao Rane, pioneer leader of Azad Gomantak Dal, was a man who appealed to his fellowmen and rarely disappointed them. He was their King, their "God". As a freedom fighter, he had secured for himself the love and attachment of his people, sought gratitude and won respect. He had a tender place in their hearts and was welcomed into their homes with open arms.
The villagers are still filled with tales of the young Khase, who used to hide in their homes and eat ordinary bhakri (chapatti) prepared by the village folk, during the struggle against the Portuguese rule. "Khase used to move from place to place and hide in the forests. We used to ensure that he gets food and water. Once we even hid him in our house," revealed Devgo Gawas, a veteran of freedom fighter from the village.
However, he admits that the times were different then and Krishnarao was an altogether different man. "He was very loving towards the village folk and treated us like a friend. He used to say; "You are helping me so much, I will always remember your favour". However, now all the promises are forgotten," said the much-agonised man.
His frustration and anger against his "God" is evident when he added, "If the subjects are not happy, what good is the King and the kingdom."
Just like Devgo, for long, Saleli villagers' love for their "God" was true, sincere, pious, pleasant, gentle, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, even long-suffering. For long, they had lived on their knees and had been the "good" subjects. However, those who love too much can also hate in the like extreme, especially when they realise that their "God" has wronged them.
Even though Goa was liberated in 1961, freedom for them is as elusive as the rainbow's end. They still find themselves in chains with torn thoughts. It is a fight for freedom from fear, freedom from oppression, freedom to live and earn. As a young boy in the village said, "Goa was liberated long back, but we feel liberated only now".
But why did this subaltern group silently adopt the powerless and voiceless world provided to them? "Because we neither had the courage nor the strength to stand up against powerful forces. Money and power was used to suppress and oppress us. We rebelled due to our utmost need of existence," explains Chhaya Gawas.
The villagers, mostly Nave Marathas, recollect stories of the continuous exploitation and harassment they had to endure at the hands of the landlord and his two sons. "When we complained, they beat us up. When we threatened to boycott work, they cooly said that we could leave the village as they can easily get ghattis to work for them. We are poor and no one is ready to help us, not even the village panchayat nor police" rues Rajaram Goankar.
The landlords may claim that they had always loved and helped the villagers as their own kith and kin, but reality seems different. Such was the atrocity that seven years back when few youth revolted against the Rane rule and stood for the Panchayat elections, they were threatened with dire consequences. "After that no one has dared to stand against the family," said a villager, who refused to reveal her name.
What has hurt villagers the most is that the Rane family, whom they believed and worshipped, are depriving them of their livelihood. According to the villagers, whenever someone tried to spread their wings and reach beyond their shores, their wings were clipped.
When it became a do-or-die situation for them, thousands of villagers who had been divided and repressed for long took such a decisive trial of strength. After all, life was getting tough. The innumerable stone crushers in area, which had been given on lease by the Rane family, was responsible for pollution, bad public health and environmental problems. Many villagers were struggling because their crops were destroyed and many small-time farmers were put out of business and forced to work as a daily wage earners. Several requests from the villagers to shut down the stone crushing units fell on empty ears. The final stroke came when Prithviraj Rane (villagers called him Bhai), decided to start a stone-crushing unit.
However, the Nave Marathas' consciousness marks a certain kind of innocence, a certain kind of fear and a certain kind of humanness when they admitted that Bhai shouldn't have been killed. "What happened was unfortunate but how much could we bear in silence," echoed the villagers.
Tenancy or Torture?
Originally, the Saleli Comunidade was an absolute owner of the village. And the villagers as its members enjoyed the proportional rights in the land. But the Portuguese regime apparently dissolved the comunidade and assumed the ownership, which it subsequently transferred by way of mocassos inamas (state grant or proprietorship title) to the Ranes. Subsequently, they became inheritors of the right vested in the government. Based on this, the owner of the village (Ranes) was collecting rent from the original occupiers as entitlement.
Legal experts say that the grants of this nature all over India are abolished, except in Goa. The people have become strangers in their own land as they have no papers to support any claims they may want to make. Ignorance of the law has also resulted in their sorry status.
The Law...Out law
The Rane's were enjoying the Mocassos inamas from 1746 from the Portuguese without paying any tax in return of a favour. The Rane family have been the proprietors for nearly 300 years and owned almost all the village (800 plus square hectare) by virtue of the grant, except the areas, which are owned by the Forest department.
In the past, around 1365-odd persons (census 2001) who used to stay in the land and till it had to pay rent to the Ranes. After Goa's liberation in 1961, a majority of the people stopped paying the rent.
Even in Form I and XIV, their names are not included as tenants. The Rane family is shown as the main occupant. Only a few educated persons were able to put their names as tenants. But majority of them are not even registered as tenants.
The villagers revealed that they had difficulty in getting a loan from the bank to build a house or start a business, as the land was not in their name. So when they approached the Ranes they would be beaten and harassed mentally and physically, revealed a youngster, who didn't want to reveal his name.
Crushed and Conquered
As the building lobby became powerful in Goa and more and more buildings started springing up there was an urgent demand for meta-granite and meta-basalt that was found in large quantity at the Morlegad (hillock) owned by the Rane's. This was some 15 years back. Rane's gave the hillock on lease and started a chain of around 20 stone crushers in the area. The Rane's grew richer, but it destroyed the peace and tranquillity of the villagers. Check this:
* The fields were destroyed. Once after a farmer complained to Krishnarao Rane that the stone crushers were destroying his cashew cultivation, he had to face dire consequences. The same night his plantation was completely destroyed by miscreants. He complained but no one listened.
* In another incident, a year back when a girl was working in the field an explosion occurred and a stone pierced her lower abdomen. She had to be immediately rushed to the hospital. "When my parents complained to khase, all he said, "Ok, she didn't die".
* In 2000, the course of the river also changed and the river became very narrow. Reason: the massive stone crushing in the area, the mountain had become weak and huge stones came crushing from the hill and fell in the river, probably changing its flow forever.
Finally, it was Prithviraj's decision to install a new stone crusher very close to the village that angered the villagers and led to the uprising.
Jitendra Deshprabhu, Pernem MLA
"We are the natural protectors of the tillers and we have been naturally shielding the community. It is really unfortunate that people who have been protected have now turned against their protectors."
Vishwajit Rane, son of Krishnarao Rane
"I had family like relationship with the villagers. We always helped them. I don't know why they killed my brother. They have been instigated by outsiders, people outside the village".
preetu.nair@gmail.com
(Article appeared in Gomantak Times,Panjim edition, India)
In the 18th century, the Ranes became the proprietors of the land and the villagers came under their domination. The Portuguese left but the villagers continued to be ruled by the Ranes. The ages of suppression and oppression finally raised the revolt against the Rane clan in Saleli village. Preetu Nair tries to find out why a 'God' fell off the pedestal.
SALELI: The young Krishnarao Rane, pioneer leader of Azad Gomantak Dal, was a man who appealed to his fellowmen and rarely disappointed them. He was their King, their "God". As a freedom fighter, he had secured for himself the love and attachment of his people, sought gratitude and won respect. He had a tender place in their hearts and was welcomed into their homes with open arms.
The villagers are still filled with tales of the young Khase, who used to hide in their homes and eat ordinary bhakri (chapatti) prepared by the village folk, during the struggle against the Portuguese rule. "Khase used to move from place to place and hide in the forests. We used to ensure that he gets food and water. Once we even hid him in our house," revealed Devgo Gawas, a veteran of freedom fighter from the village.
However, he admits that the times were different then and Krishnarao was an altogether different man. "He was very loving towards the village folk and treated us like a friend. He used to say; "You are helping me so much, I will always remember your favour". However, now all the promises are forgotten," said the much-agonised man.
His frustration and anger against his "God" is evident when he added, "If the subjects are not happy, what good is the King and the kingdom."
Just like Devgo, for long, Saleli villagers' love for their "God" was true, sincere, pious, pleasant, gentle, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, even long-suffering. For long, they had lived on their knees and had been the "good" subjects. However, those who love too much can also hate in the like extreme, especially when they realise that their "God" has wronged them.
Even though Goa was liberated in 1961, freedom for them is as elusive as the rainbow's end. They still find themselves in chains with torn thoughts. It is a fight for freedom from fear, freedom from oppression, freedom to live and earn. As a young boy in the village said, "Goa was liberated long back, but we feel liberated only now".
But why did this subaltern group silently adopt the powerless and voiceless world provided to them? "Because we neither had the courage nor the strength to stand up against powerful forces. Money and power was used to suppress and oppress us. We rebelled due to our utmost need of existence," explains Chhaya Gawas.
The villagers, mostly Nave Marathas, recollect stories of the continuous exploitation and harassment they had to endure at the hands of the landlord and his two sons. "When we complained, they beat us up. When we threatened to boycott work, they cooly said that we could leave the village as they can easily get ghattis to work for them. We are poor and no one is ready to help us, not even the village panchayat nor police" rues Rajaram Goankar.
The landlords may claim that they had always loved and helped the villagers as their own kith and kin, but reality seems different. Such was the atrocity that seven years back when few youth revolted against the Rane rule and stood for the Panchayat elections, they were threatened with dire consequences. "After that no one has dared to stand against the family," said a villager, who refused to reveal her name.
What has hurt villagers the most is that the Rane family, whom they believed and worshipped, are depriving them of their livelihood. According to the villagers, whenever someone tried to spread their wings and reach beyond their shores, their wings were clipped.
When it became a do-or-die situation for them, thousands of villagers who had been divided and repressed for long took such a decisive trial of strength. After all, life was getting tough. The innumerable stone crushers in area, which had been given on lease by the Rane family, was responsible for pollution, bad public health and environmental problems. Many villagers were struggling because their crops were destroyed and many small-time farmers were put out of business and forced to work as a daily wage earners. Several requests from the villagers to shut down the stone crushing units fell on empty ears. The final stroke came when Prithviraj Rane (villagers called him Bhai), decided to start a stone-crushing unit.
However, the Nave Marathas' consciousness marks a certain kind of innocence, a certain kind of fear and a certain kind of humanness when they admitted that Bhai shouldn't have been killed. "What happened was unfortunate but how much could we bear in silence," echoed the villagers.
Tenancy or Torture?
Originally, the Saleli Comunidade was an absolute owner of the village. And the villagers as its members enjoyed the proportional rights in the land. But the Portuguese regime apparently dissolved the comunidade and assumed the ownership, which it subsequently transferred by way of mocassos inamas (state grant or proprietorship title) to the Ranes. Subsequently, they became inheritors of the right vested in the government. Based on this, the owner of the village (Ranes) was collecting rent from the original occupiers as entitlement.
Legal experts say that the grants of this nature all over India are abolished, except in Goa. The people have become strangers in their own land as they have no papers to support any claims they may want to make. Ignorance of the law has also resulted in their sorry status.
The Law...Out law
The Rane's were enjoying the Mocassos inamas from 1746 from the Portuguese without paying any tax in return of a favour. The Rane family have been the proprietors for nearly 300 years and owned almost all the village (800 plus square hectare) by virtue of the grant, except the areas, which are owned by the Forest department.
In the past, around 1365-odd persons (census 2001) who used to stay in the land and till it had to pay rent to the Ranes. After Goa's liberation in 1961, a majority of the people stopped paying the rent.
Even in Form I and XIV, their names are not included as tenants. The Rane family is shown as the main occupant. Only a few educated persons were able to put their names as tenants. But majority of them are not even registered as tenants.
The villagers revealed that they had difficulty in getting a loan from the bank to build a house or start a business, as the land was not in their name. So when they approached the Ranes they would be beaten and harassed mentally and physically, revealed a youngster, who didn't want to reveal his name.
Crushed and Conquered
As the building lobby became powerful in Goa and more and more buildings started springing up there was an urgent demand for meta-granite and meta-basalt that was found in large quantity at the Morlegad (hillock) owned by the Rane's. This was some 15 years back. Rane's gave the hillock on lease and started a chain of around 20 stone crushers in the area. The Rane's grew richer, but it destroyed the peace and tranquillity of the villagers. Check this:
* The fields were destroyed. Once after a farmer complained to Krishnarao Rane that the stone crushers were destroying his cashew cultivation, he had to face dire consequences. The same night his plantation was completely destroyed by miscreants. He complained but no one listened.
* In another incident, a year back when a girl was working in the field an explosion occurred and a stone pierced her lower abdomen. She had to be immediately rushed to the hospital. "When my parents complained to khase, all he said, "Ok, she didn't die".
* In 2000, the course of the river also changed and the river became very narrow. Reason: the massive stone crushing in the area, the mountain had become weak and huge stones came crushing from the hill and fell in the river, probably changing its flow forever.
Finally, it was Prithviraj's decision to install a new stone crusher very close to the village that angered the villagers and led to the uprising.
Jitendra Deshprabhu, Pernem MLA
"We are the natural protectors of the tillers and we have been naturally shielding the community. It is really unfortunate that people who have been protected have now turned against their protectors."
Vishwajit Rane, son of Krishnarao Rane
"I had family like relationship with the villagers. We always helped them. I don't know why they killed my brother. They have been instigated by outsiders, people outside the village".
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
So you don't to want pre-marriage HIV test done because you want privacy…
While an unnecessary debate, whether HIV/AIDS test should be mandatory or not raises, we ask the doubting Thomases to talk to these four women who got HIV becasue their husband's married them with the infection. Now they are about to take their wife's life, even after they are dead.
PANJIM: * Arti never knew what HIV/AIDS was until her husband fell seriously ill. Tests revealed that he was HIV positive. She was also advised to go for HIV/AIDS test. This was four years back. In 2002, she lost her husband. Even Arti's elder daughter was found positive. From then life has become an unending struggle: struggle to live, earn and lead a healthy life. Living with HIV/AIDS, Arti is trying hard to ensure that two of her children who were tested HIV negative have a secure future.
* Sheela's was a child marriage. At the age of four, her parents got her married to a person much older to her. At the age of 12, she came to live in Goa. She had five kids. Four years ago her husband died of HIV/AIDS. Later her three kids also fell prey to the dreaded disease and lost their lives. Her only consolation is that two of her younger children were tested negative.
* Everything was perfect for Sarita. She had a caring family; a loving husband and she felt her world was complete when the doctor told her that she was pregnant. They felt blessed and happy. But this happiness was short-lived. Without informing the couple, Sarita's gynaecologist got an HIV/AIDS test and the result was positive. Life changed forever. Since last two years she is a victim of blame game and acute criticism, which increased when her husband was also found to be HIV positive.
* From a lower middle class family, Shabnam's life has been full of thorns. She was forced to drop out of school and work as a daily wage earner. At the age of 17, her parents got her married to a man, who worked as a bus driver. After marriage she used to fall sick often. Life at her in-laws place was a nightmare and she hardly used to be with her husband. After two years, her husband expired and she was blamed for his death. As her health deteriorated, she was asked to do an HIV/AIDS test. She was also found to be positive.
Arti, Sheela, Sarita and Shabnam's experiences in life maybe different, but they share a harsh reality: they all infected the disease from their husband after marriage. Living and struggling with HIV/AIDS, they strongly support Goa government's decision to make HIV/AIDS test mandatory before marriage. After all AIDS affects people primarily when they are most productive and leads to premature death thereby severely affecting the socio-economic structure of whole families, communities and nations.
It must be recalled that the Goa government is planning to make HIV testing a mandatory requirement for couples planning to get married. Couples would be tested to find out their HIV status, and then - depending on the results - decide whether or not to go through with the ceremony. However, a final decision will be taken only after public consensus is reached on the issue.
Even as many raise questions about the social fate of people tested HIV positive, thereby creating a new stigmatised underclass, these HIV positive women believe that it is only mandatory HIV testing that would curb the spread of the disease. Not only will it save young women from falling prey to the disease but also prevent mother-to-child transmission. After all, majority of women infected with HIV/AIDS in Goa are in the age group of 15 to 35.
Before writing off the policy as unethically draconian, check out what these women have to say:
IT'S MY RIGHT:
If right to privacy is a fundamental human right and people living with HIV/AIDS have a right to live without discrimination. Then women's right to safe sexuality and to autonomy in all decisions relating to sexuality also needs to be respected. Living with HIV/AIDS, four of them strongly believe that if right to privacy is a fundamental right embalmed in the Constitution of India, then right to live is an equally important right and no one should be denied that right. They believe, "By and large, most men, however poor can choose when, with whom and with what protection if any, to have sex. Most women cannot. Often men even after knowing their HIV status marry a woman, thereby denying her right to live. Which is a greater right: Right to live or right to privacy?"
RESTRAIN THYSELF:
If you make the test mandatory, people will be more careful and not risk their life as well as the lives of their partner. They will be scared and restrain from leading an unhealthy sexual life for they know that there is a mandatory testing before marriage. This is a shared view. Sarita adds, "It is very difficult for a woman with HIV/AIDS. Besides, stigma and social ostracism there is this ever-growing financial tension and fear of an uncertain future and inevitable death".
IT'S A LIFELONG AFFAIR:
This one is for those who argue that mandatory testing prior to marriage would only give the state a false sense of security and a false belief that the infection is being effectively prevented from spreading. They believe that along with testing government should also make counselling mandatory to prevent any untoward happening in the future. Still better, Arti says, "Testing should be done at regular intervals and there should be timely intervention to ensure that menace of HIV/AIDS is curbed. Besides, testing should be affordable and within the reach of ordinary people. After all everyone wants to live and live a healthy life of dignity and peace." But how would the policy protect women in India, when many of them end up being infected after marriage by unfaithful spouses? "You have to make a beginning," she adds.
NEED OF THE HOUR: The common view: HIV/AIDS destroys families and houses. It not only affects the couple infected with HIV/AIDS but also devastates parents of the girls infected with HIV/AIDS. Sheela says, "HIV/AIDS testing is necessary not just to save a partner but also to save the future generation. So many kids are born with HIV/AIDS because their parents are ignorant about their HIV status. It is painful to see your kids suffer and die of HIV in front of your eyes. We need to protect their innocence and ensure a better, safer life for them."
DO WE HAVE A VOICE?: Women cannot negotiate safe sex because of her low status in society or lack of personal power. "Therefore, men whether knowingly infected or unaware of their HIV status, have a special responsibility of not putting others at risk. Women are in fact more at risk of getting infected because of their increased vulnerability. In addition, their low status within the family and society further heighten their vulnerability to infection," opined Shabnam.
WHY IS THERE OPPOSITION TO MAKING THE TEST MANDATORY BEFORE MARRIAGE?
WINDOW PERIOD: The window period. Window period is one in which even though a person is infected with HIV, she/he would be tested negative, as her/his antibodies are not developed.
FALSE ALARM: False positive results may actually ruin the life of a person not who is not HIV positive and destroy their career and life.
RUNNING AWAY FROM REALITY: Mandatory testing would only drive the disease underground and would be very costly for the state in the long run. Not many persons are aware of HIV, the nature of the disease, the testing methods, the methods of transmission of HIV, etc. Due to the ignorance, there is fear even to get an HIV test done.
NACO SAYS…: It is against the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) policy on testing, which encourages voluntary testing after pre-test counselling as the appropriate public health strategy in dealing with HIV/AIDS and the Union Health Minister has been quoted recently reaffirming this stand. Besides it is contrary to fundamental rights of Indian citizens RUNAWAY MARRIAGE: Further, it would only have the consequence of people going outside the state to marry, where such tests are not required.
ITS CONFIDENTIAL!: The results should be kept confidential. But here you are sharing the results with the prospective bride or groom.
YET TO PASS THE TEST: It has been tried out at other places and failed. The American Civil Liberties Union Report of March 1998 reported that mandatory pre-marital HIV testing was a record of failure. It stated that more than 30 states in the USA considered pre-marital HIV testing. However, all the states except for Illinois and Louisiana rejected the idea. Illinois and Louisiana enacted and enforced mandatory pre-marital testing, but subsequently repealed them.
VOX POP
1. UK Vohra, Health Secretary, Goa
"Government has proposed to make the test mandatory. We are throwing the issue open for public debate. At the moment there are two schools of thought: one for the test and another against it. We will call all the opinion makers and debate whether a consensus can be reached on the issue. We don't want to rake controversies.
2. Dr Denis Broun, Country Director, United Nations AIDS programme
"You can curb the disease only by spreading information, counselling and convincing families to go for HIV test before marriage. The government shouldn't interfere and introduce mandatory testing before marriage."
3. Rosy da Silva, artist
"I would definitely insist on a HIV/AIDS test before marriage. No one wants to fall into the trap. After all a relation is based on trust and truth, so does one person has the right to destroy his/her partner's life. Right to live is a much bigger right than right to privacy."
4. Rohit Phalgaonkar, teacher
"Personally speaking, I would get myself tested and also encourage my partner to get tested. However, it is more of a personal matter and the couple need to reach a consensus on the issue. More than making the test mandatory, the focus should be on spreading awareness about the disease."
IF YOU CAN DO THIS… THEN …
* If you can get tested and produce HIV free certificate when going for a job abroad, why can't you get yourself tested before marriage?
* If people are more worried about stigma and right to privacy, then the government, as a people's representative is worried about large scale spread of pandemic like situation and denial of right to live for many innocent souls.
http://goadourada.blogspot.com/
Preetu Nair
Senior Reporter
Gomantak Times
Panaji- Goa
India
PANJIM: * Arti never knew what HIV/AIDS was until her husband fell seriously ill. Tests revealed that he was HIV positive. She was also advised to go for HIV/AIDS test. This was four years back. In 2002, she lost her husband. Even Arti's elder daughter was found positive. From then life has become an unending struggle: struggle to live, earn and lead a healthy life. Living with HIV/AIDS, Arti is trying hard to ensure that two of her children who were tested HIV negative have a secure future.
* Sheela's was a child marriage. At the age of four, her parents got her married to a person much older to her. At the age of 12, she came to live in Goa. She had five kids. Four years ago her husband died of HIV/AIDS. Later her three kids also fell prey to the dreaded disease and lost their lives. Her only consolation is that two of her younger children were tested negative.
* Everything was perfect for Sarita. She had a caring family; a loving husband and she felt her world was complete when the doctor told her that she was pregnant. They felt blessed and happy. But this happiness was short-lived. Without informing the couple, Sarita's gynaecologist got an HIV/AIDS test and the result was positive. Life changed forever. Since last two years she is a victim of blame game and acute criticism, which increased when her husband was also found to be HIV positive.
* From a lower middle class family, Shabnam's life has been full of thorns. She was forced to drop out of school and work as a daily wage earner. At the age of 17, her parents got her married to a man, who worked as a bus driver. After marriage she used to fall sick often. Life at her in-laws place was a nightmare and she hardly used to be with her husband. After two years, her husband expired and she was blamed for his death. As her health deteriorated, she was asked to do an HIV/AIDS test. She was also found to be positive.
Arti, Sheela, Sarita and Shabnam's experiences in life maybe different, but they share a harsh reality: they all infected the disease from their husband after marriage. Living and struggling with HIV/AIDS, they strongly support Goa government's decision to make HIV/AIDS test mandatory before marriage. After all AIDS affects people primarily when they are most productive and leads to premature death thereby severely affecting the socio-economic structure of whole families, communities and nations.
It must be recalled that the Goa government is planning to make HIV testing a mandatory requirement for couples planning to get married. Couples would be tested to find out their HIV status, and then - depending on the results - decide whether or not to go through with the ceremony. However, a final decision will be taken only after public consensus is reached on the issue.
Even as many raise questions about the social fate of people tested HIV positive, thereby creating a new stigmatised underclass, these HIV positive women believe that it is only mandatory HIV testing that would curb the spread of the disease. Not only will it save young women from falling prey to the disease but also prevent mother-to-child transmission. After all, majority of women infected with HIV/AIDS in Goa are in the age group of 15 to 35.
Before writing off the policy as unethically draconian, check out what these women have to say:
IT'S MY RIGHT:
If right to privacy is a fundamental human right and people living with HIV/AIDS have a right to live without discrimination. Then women's right to safe sexuality and to autonomy in all decisions relating to sexuality also needs to be respected. Living with HIV/AIDS, four of them strongly believe that if right to privacy is a fundamental right embalmed in the Constitution of India, then right to live is an equally important right and no one should be denied that right. They believe, "By and large, most men, however poor can choose when, with whom and with what protection if any, to have sex. Most women cannot. Often men even after knowing their HIV status marry a woman, thereby denying her right to live. Which is a greater right: Right to live or right to privacy?"
RESTRAIN THYSELF:
If you make the test mandatory, people will be more careful and not risk their life as well as the lives of their partner. They will be scared and restrain from leading an unhealthy sexual life for they know that there is a mandatory testing before marriage. This is a shared view. Sarita adds, "It is very difficult for a woman with HIV/AIDS. Besides, stigma and social ostracism there is this ever-growing financial tension and fear of an uncertain future and inevitable death".
IT'S A LIFELONG AFFAIR:
This one is for those who argue that mandatory testing prior to marriage would only give the state a false sense of security and a false belief that the infection is being effectively prevented from spreading. They believe that along with testing government should also make counselling mandatory to prevent any untoward happening in the future. Still better, Arti says, "Testing should be done at regular intervals and there should be timely intervention to ensure that menace of HIV/AIDS is curbed. Besides, testing should be affordable and within the reach of ordinary people. After all everyone wants to live and live a healthy life of dignity and peace." But how would the policy protect women in India, when many of them end up being infected after marriage by unfaithful spouses? "You have to make a beginning," she adds.
NEED OF THE HOUR: The common view: HIV/AIDS destroys families and houses. It not only affects the couple infected with HIV/AIDS but also devastates parents of the girls infected with HIV/AIDS. Sheela says, "HIV/AIDS testing is necessary not just to save a partner but also to save the future generation. So many kids are born with HIV/AIDS because their parents are ignorant about their HIV status. It is painful to see your kids suffer and die of HIV in front of your eyes. We need to protect their innocence and ensure a better, safer life for them."
DO WE HAVE A VOICE?: Women cannot negotiate safe sex because of her low status in society or lack of personal power. "Therefore, men whether knowingly infected or unaware of their HIV status, have a special responsibility of not putting others at risk. Women are in fact more at risk of getting infected because of their increased vulnerability. In addition, their low status within the family and society further heighten their vulnerability to infection," opined Shabnam.
WHY IS THERE OPPOSITION TO MAKING THE TEST MANDATORY BEFORE MARRIAGE?
WINDOW PERIOD: The window period. Window period is one in which even though a person is infected with HIV, she/he would be tested negative, as her/his antibodies are not developed.
FALSE ALARM: False positive results may actually ruin the life of a person not who is not HIV positive and destroy their career and life.
RUNNING AWAY FROM REALITY: Mandatory testing would only drive the disease underground and would be very costly for the state in the long run. Not many persons are aware of HIV, the nature of the disease, the testing methods, the methods of transmission of HIV, etc. Due to the ignorance, there is fear even to get an HIV test done.
NACO SAYS…: It is against the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) policy on testing, which encourages voluntary testing after pre-test counselling as the appropriate public health strategy in dealing with HIV/AIDS and the Union Health Minister has been quoted recently reaffirming this stand. Besides it is contrary to fundamental rights of Indian citizens RUNAWAY MARRIAGE: Further, it would only have the consequence of people going outside the state to marry, where such tests are not required.
ITS CONFIDENTIAL!: The results should be kept confidential. But here you are sharing the results with the prospective bride or groom.
YET TO PASS THE TEST: It has been tried out at other places and failed. The American Civil Liberties Union Report of March 1998 reported that mandatory pre-marital HIV testing was a record of failure. It stated that more than 30 states in the USA considered pre-marital HIV testing. However, all the states except for Illinois and Louisiana rejected the idea. Illinois and Louisiana enacted and enforced mandatory pre-marital testing, but subsequently repealed them.
VOX POP
1. UK Vohra, Health Secretary, Goa
"Government has proposed to make the test mandatory. We are throwing the issue open for public debate. At the moment there are two schools of thought: one for the test and another against it. We will call all the opinion makers and debate whether a consensus can be reached on the issue. We don't want to rake controversies.
2. Dr Denis Broun, Country Director, United Nations AIDS programme
"You can curb the disease only by spreading information, counselling and convincing families to go for HIV test before marriage. The government shouldn't interfere and introduce mandatory testing before marriage."
3. Rosy da Silva, artist
"I would definitely insist on a HIV/AIDS test before marriage. No one wants to fall into the trap. After all a relation is based on trust and truth, so does one person has the right to destroy his/her partner's life. Right to live is a much bigger right than right to privacy."
4. Rohit Phalgaonkar, teacher
"Personally speaking, I would get myself tested and also encourage my partner to get tested. However, it is more of a personal matter and the couple need to reach a consensus on the issue. More than making the test mandatory, the focus should be on spreading awareness about the disease."
IF YOU CAN DO THIS… THEN …
* If you can get tested and produce HIV free certificate when going for a job abroad, why can't you get yourself tested before marriage?
* If people are more worried about stigma and right to privacy, then the government, as a people's representative is worried about large scale spread of pandemic like situation and denial of right to live for many innocent souls.
http://goadourada.blogspot.com/
Preetu Nair
Senior Reporter
Gomantak Times
Panaji- Goa
India
Gulliver's Travel: A voyage to Goa
Peter de Souza and Preetu Nair
PANJIM: If someone were to write a sequel to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels: A Voyage to Brobdingnag; it would be called Gulliver's Travel: A voyage to Goa. However, Swift's Gulliver, the surgeon, would be replaced by very many Russian, European, Nigerian and Israeli Gullivers'.
Just like the friendly creatures welcomed Gulliver into their land, in the same manner Goans would have also welcomed travellers from all over the world to Goa. However, unlike Gulliver who after spending two years in Brobdingnag wants to return home, the Gulliver's in Goa have no will or inclination to return home.
The urge to explore and discover Goa is so high for the Russian, European, Nigerian and Israeli Gullivers' that they find very many reasons to stay in Goa. Of course the Goa police and the politicians, often help them in their endeavours and ensure that these Gullivers' find a safe haven in the state. And they continue to live, earn and flourish in Goa, even though they don't have a work permit. Even though their Visa expires they continue to stay in the country for years without any fear of the law of the land.
Despite Anita Rodrigues, SP, Foreigner's Branch claim, "We issue them deportation order and they leave the country", foreigners overstaying in the state adopt numerous tricks to ensure that they are not deported from the country:
Trick 1: I WANT TO STUDY
Many, especially Nigerians, come to Goa on study visa. Once in Goa they either take admission in a college or join a football club and continue to stay in the country. Most of them ensure that they never pass the exams and thus use this as an excuse to overstay in Goa.
Trick 2: PAY FINE & LIVE IN GOA
Those who are overstaying can be booked under the Passport Entry Act into India, 1995, if they don't have a passport. If Visa has expired then the tourist can be booked under the Foreigners' Regulation Order for violating Visa conditions. Once the police book them, they are produced in court. The Act says that any foreigner who overstays is either imposed a fine of Rs 2000 to 5000 or jailed for six months. Foreigners opt to pay the fine and stay in Goa.
Trick 3: ONCE FINED, FREE FOREVER
According to the Act, once a person who is overstaying is fined a sum and pays it, then they can't be arrested for the same offence again. Many take advantage of the loophole in the law and whenever police questions them, they produce the court fee challan. However, the situation would be different, if once convicted of overstaying, the government takes immediate steps to deport the person who is overstaying, said a top police official. He added that until the time they are deported they should be sent to a remand home and the deportation process should be expedite.
TRICK 4: A CASE OR TWO DOES THE TRICK
Often foreigner's overstaying get entangled in legal battles to ensure that they overstay. Once the matter is in court, it becomes all the more difficult to deport them.
TRICK 5: I AM BROKE
Government officials on condition of anonymity say that to deport the foreigner's overstaying in the state, government has to spend from its own pocket. "This the government claims is a burden on the public exchequer and this refrains us from taking any action against those overstaying. The result is that they keep overstaying and involve themselves in nefarious activities," said another top police official.
What is worse is that though the Foreigners Registration Act, 1946 clearly states that foreigners should not carry, buy, sell or use psychotropic drugs or any other narcotic substances while in India as their purchase, sale or possession is a cognisable offence, many indulge in the sale of drugs. While several Israelis and Russians are involved in the drug trade, the Nigerians work as runners. They are never caught, either for overstaying or for selling drugs, thanks to the political patronage that they enjoy in the state.
As a senior police official rightly said, "Overstaying of foreigners has caused innumerable problems, but the government is hardly interested in tackling the issue".
When contacted, Rina Torcato, DySP, Foreigner's Branch said, "Most of these people who are overstaying are engaged in court cases and when a matter is pending in the court, we can't deport them because the matter is in the court. However, on two occasions we have deported a Nigerian". But when asked to name them and the day they were deported, she failed to give any answer.
Our investigations reveal that Foreigner's office in Panjim issues leave India notice but never follows it up. "It is beyond our capacity to deport a foreigner, though we know that innumerable Israelis, Germans and Russians in the Northern coastal belt have taken advantage of this", revealed a staffer at the Foreigner's office in Panjim.
Rules are made to be broken and many foreigners in Goa continue to break laws in Goa and yet continue to live in the state unaffected. Check out a few who have managed to stay in the state, even though they have violated continuously violated the law of the land. This is just a tip of the iceberg.
· It is a known fact that Nigerians are used as "runners" by bigger Israeli and Russian drug lords in the state. But this gained importance when Charles Vozar, a Nigerian was arrested in 1992 for carrying cocaine. It is the same year that he came to Goa with his wife. It is reliably learnt that Charles had swallowed a big sachet of cocaine. Police got him admitted at the GMC. Police requested the doctors to give him a stomach wash but the initial efforts were futile. Later Charles was sent to the lock-up and it is here that he panicked fear that the cocaine pouch in his stomach may burst and he may die. He complained of stomach pain and fainted. It was here at the GMC that Dr Madhu was asked by Charles to give him a stomach wash again. Dr Madhu mentioned about this in the case paper which proved to be an important ground for Charles conviction. Later, he was arrested by Police Inspector Shetgaonkar for overstaying and he contested that his passport was with the ANC. At the moment he runs a notorious place called the Santana bar and restaurant at Gaura waddo in Calangute. This place is frequented by various notorious Nigerians and whatever plans and underhand dealings, even in the black Dollar trade are hatched here. Police officials say that he is taking undue advantage of the court cases against him and hanging him in Goa. Sources at the ANC revealed that both he and his wife are topping the list of the ANC compiled by the National Narcotic Control Bureau, among the Nigerians and the government is doing pretty little to deport them. The former controversial ANC team were much grateful to the existence of Charles and they were overfriendly with them and also a police informer who would provide the names of minor runners in the drug trade. Charles deosn't have money to go back but yet stays in a palatial house.
Arrested by PSI Rajan Prabhudessai and convicted for eight months for possessing 169 gram of brown sugar, worth Rs 25,000 in 2001. Charles had come to live in Goa along with his wife Gloria in 1992. Charles went to appeal in the high Court and the case is still going on.
* Jessi again a Nigerian, who is in list of the ANC is booked in the passport forgery case. so shrewd and cunning is Jessi that in his own passport, he extended his visa from 2001 to 2010 and got caught by the police in 2003. Incidentally, he is out on bail and now moves around freely.
Johnny Lamad, Afrcian, who was overstaying along with a friend raped a British national. Johnny befriended a foreigner in restaurant in Calangute and asked her to accompany him to a disco at late night. When she refused, he offered to drop her home, which she agreed to, lest knowing what was in store. Instead of dropping her home, he took her to his friend's house and the two men took turns in raping the woman and threatened to kill her.
Johnny Young, Bahamas, a close associate of Jacarias, a notorious criminals and alleged murderer involved with various armed cases form Goa. Sources reveal that Johnny was instrumental in teaching Jacarias the trade of throwing chilli powder into the eyes of the jailor and escaping from jail. So high are Johnny's contacts at various embassies that he helped Jacarias escape to Dubai. But he himself is overstaying in Goa thanks to a on-going rape case against him.
Alexis, a notorious Russian drug dealer, whose name figures among the top drug dealer in the National Narcotic Control Bureau list had come to Goa on a work permit. Though his visa expired in, he was overstaying. Finally, law caught up with him and issued him a Leave India Notice and he was planning to shift base to Kulu Manali. Thankfully, probably for the first time, the police acted and deported him before Alexis could take advantage of a loophole in the Act and overstay.
Another Nigerian Ifeanyi Patrick Okoye came to India on June 14, 2005 and his visa expired on December 13, 2005.
Artilce appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim edition, India,
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preetu Nair
Senior Reporter
Gomantak Times
St.Inez, Panaji
Goa-403 001
India
http://goadourada.blogspot.com/
"Freedom of mind is the real freedom"
Babasaheb Ambedkar
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PANJIM: If someone were to write a sequel to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels: A Voyage to Brobdingnag; it would be called Gulliver's Travel: A voyage to Goa. However, Swift's Gulliver, the surgeon, would be replaced by very many Russian, European, Nigerian and Israeli Gullivers'.
Just like the friendly creatures welcomed Gulliver into their land, in the same manner Goans would have also welcomed travellers from all over the world to Goa. However, unlike Gulliver who after spending two years in Brobdingnag wants to return home, the Gulliver's in Goa have no will or inclination to return home.
The urge to explore and discover Goa is so high for the Russian, European, Nigerian and Israeli Gullivers' that they find very many reasons to stay in Goa. Of course the Goa police and the politicians, often help them in their endeavours and ensure that these Gullivers' find a safe haven in the state. And they continue to live, earn and flourish in Goa, even though they don't have a work permit. Even though their Visa expires they continue to stay in the country for years without any fear of the law of the land.
Despite Anita Rodrigues, SP, Foreigner's Branch claim, "We issue them deportation order and they leave the country", foreigners overstaying in the state adopt numerous tricks to ensure that they are not deported from the country:
Trick 1: I WANT TO STUDY
Many, especially Nigerians, come to Goa on study visa. Once in Goa they either take admission in a college or join a football club and continue to stay in the country. Most of them ensure that they never pass the exams and thus use this as an excuse to overstay in Goa.
Trick 2: PAY FINE & LIVE IN GOA
Those who are overstaying can be booked under the Passport Entry Act into India, 1995, if they don't have a passport. If Visa has expired then the tourist can be booked under the Foreigners' Regulation Order for violating Visa conditions. Once the police book them, they are produced in court. The Act says that any foreigner who overstays is either imposed a fine of Rs 2000 to 5000 or jailed for six months. Foreigners opt to pay the fine and stay in Goa.
Trick 3: ONCE FINED, FREE FOREVER
According to the Act, once a person who is overstaying is fined a sum and pays it, then they can't be arrested for the same offence again. Many take advantage of the loophole in the law and whenever police questions them, they produce the court fee challan. However, the situation would be different, if once convicted of overstaying, the government takes immediate steps to deport the person who is overstaying, said a top police official. He added that until the time they are deported they should be sent to a remand home and the deportation process should be expedite.
TRICK 4: A CASE OR TWO DOES THE TRICK
Often foreigner's overstaying get entangled in legal battles to ensure that they overstay. Once the matter is in court, it becomes all the more difficult to deport them.
TRICK 5: I AM BROKE
Government officials on condition of anonymity say that to deport the foreigner's overstaying in the state, government has to spend from its own pocket. "This the government claims is a burden on the public exchequer and this refrains us from taking any action against those overstaying. The result is that they keep overstaying and involve themselves in nefarious activities," said another top police official.
What is worse is that though the Foreigners Registration Act, 1946 clearly states that foreigners should not carry, buy, sell or use psychotropic drugs or any other narcotic substances while in India as their purchase, sale or possession is a cognisable offence, many indulge in the sale of drugs. While several Israelis and Russians are involved in the drug trade, the Nigerians work as runners. They are never caught, either for overstaying or for selling drugs, thanks to the political patronage that they enjoy in the state.
As a senior police official rightly said, "Overstaying of foreigners has caused innumerable problems, but the government is hardly interested in tackling the issue".
When contacted, Rina Torcato, DySP, Foreigner's Branch said, "Most of these people who are overstaying are engaged in court cases and when a matter is pending in the court, we can't deport them because the matter is in the court. However, on two occasions we have deported a Nigerian". But when asked to name them and the day they were deported, she failed to give any answer.
Our investigations reveal that Foreigner's office in Panjim issues leave India notice but never follows it up. "It is beyond our capacity to deport a foreigner, though we know that innumerable Israelis, Germans and Russians in the Northern coastal belt have taken advantage of this", revealed a staffer at the Foreigner's office in Panjim.
Rules are made to be broken and many foreigners in Goa continue to break laws in Goa and yet continue to live in the state unaffected. Check out a few who have managed to stay in the state, even though they have violated continuously violated the law of the land. This is just a tip of the iceberg.
· It is a known fact that Nigerians are used as "runners" by bigger Israeli and Russian drug lords in the state. But this gained importance when Charles Vozar, a Nigerian was arrested in 1992 for carrying cocaine. It is the same year that he came to Goa with his wife. It is reliably learnt that Charles had swallowed a big sachet of cocaine. Police got him admitted at the GMC. Police requested the doctors to give him a stomach wash but the initial efforts were futile. Later Charles was sent to the lock-up and it is here that he panicked fear that the cocaine pouch in his stomach may burst and he may die. He complained of stomach pain and fainted. It was here at the GMC that Dr Madhu was asked by Charles to give him a stomach wash again. Dr Madhu mentioned about this in the case paper which proved to be an important ground for Charles conviction. Later, he was arrested by Police Inspector Shetgaonkar for overstaying and he contested that his passport was with the ANC. At the moment he runs a notorious place called the Santana bar and restaurant at Gaura waddo in Calangute. This place is frequented by various notorious Nigerians and whatever plans and underhand dealings, even in the black Dollar trade are hatched here. Police officials say that he is taking undue advantage of the court cases against him and hanging him in Goa. Sources at the ANC revealed that both he and his wife are topping the list of the ANC compiled by the National Narcotic Control Bureau, among the Nigerians and the government is doing pretty little to deport them. The former controversial ANC team were much grateful to the existence of Charles and they were overfriendly with them and also a police informer who would provide the names of minor runners in the drug trade. Charles deosn't have money to go back but yet stays in a palatial house.
Arrested by PSI Rajan Prabhudessai and convicted for eight months for possessing 169 gram of brown sugar, worth Rs 25,000 in 2001. Charles had come to live in Goa along with his wife Gloria in 1992. Charles went to appeal in the high Court and the case is still going on.
* Jessi again a Nigerian, who is in list of the ANC is booked in the passport forgery case. so shrewd and cunning is Jessi that in his own passport, he extended his visa from 2001 to 2010 and got caught by the police in 2003. Incidentally, he is out on bail and now moves around freely.
Johnny Lamad, Afrcian, who was overstaying along with a friend raped a British national. Johnny befriended a foreigner in restaurant in Calangute and asked her to accompany him to a disco at late night. When she refused, he offered to drop her home, which she agreed to, lest knowing what was in store. Instead of dropping her home, he took her to his friend's house and the two men took turns in raping the woman and threatened to kill her.
Johnny Young, Bahamas, a close associate of Jacarias, a notorious criminals and alleged murderer involved with various armed cases form Goa. Sources reveal that Johnny was instrumental in teaching Jacarias the trade of throwing chilli powder into the eyes of the jailor and escaping from jail. So high are Johnny's contacts at various embassies that he helped Jacarias escape to Dubai. But he himself is overstaying in Goa thanks to a on-going rape case against him.
Alexis, a notorious Russian drug dealer, whose name figures among the top drug dealer in the National Narcotic Control Bureau list had come to Goa on a work permit. Though his visa expired in, he was overstaying. Finally, law caught up with him and issued him a Leave India Notice and he was planning to shift base to Kulu Manali. Thankfully, probably for the first time, the police acted and deported him before Alexis could take advantage of a loophole in the Act and overstay.
Another Nigerian Ifeanyi Patrick Okoye came to India on June 14, 2005 and his visa expired on December 13, 2005.
Artilce appeared in Gomantak Times, Panjim edition, India,
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preetu Nair
Senior Reporter
Gomantak Times
St.Inez, Panaji
Goa-403 001
India
http://goadourada.blogspot.com/
"Freedom of mind is the real freedom"
Babasaheb Ambedkar
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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