Two Nepali girls who fled from Sonagachi, a red light area in Kolkata, famous for prostitution, have been rescued. The Nepali Embassy in Delhi, with the help of the Indian administration and social organization 'Kin India', rescued them from Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha.

Nepali Acting Ambassador to India Surendra Thapa has informed that two girls, aged 14 and 15, have been rescued and brought to Kathmandu. Both are from Nuwakot district.

They managed to escape from the hellish area with the help of two regular customers. The 14-year-old from Nuwakot-1 (code name) said that she was brought to Sonagachi when she was studying in class 9. In an interview with Kantipur, she said that since the financial condition of her family was weak, she came to India through the contact of a young man she met in the village while studying and looking for work while studying at school. ‘I wanted to work along with my studies. I was brought to Kathmandu saying that I could study during the day and do packing work at night,’ she said, ‘I know I reached Hetauda. Then I didn’t know. I was taken to Siliguri all at once.’

Her mother passed away when she was young. She said that she had a father, younger brother and sister at home. ‘The situation at home forced me to work. After reaching Kolkata by train from Siliguri, the man left me in charge of a girl and disappeared,’ she said, ‘I was kept in a flat for months and was not given work. I was later taken to the wrong place, saying that there was a well-paid job. I was taken to the Nepali Kothi at No. 15, Sonagachi.’ She remembers leaving home around Kartik after Dashain-Tihar last year.

Another girl who arrived in Nepal after being rescued is Nuwakot-2 (code name), 15 years old. She says that she left school when she was studying in the 8th grade and came to Kathmandu in search of work. ‘I had completed the 7th grade and reached the 8th grade, when my mother fell ill. I could not go to school. Due to the situation at home, I had to work. For some time, I reached Dhunche in Rasuwa and worked in a hotel,’ she told Kantipur, ‘There was a lot of work there. Money was not enough. I came to Kathmandu for work because I was at home. A sister in Kathmandu accompanied her in Kathmandu saying that she could find work in Darjeeling, so I left Kathmandu and reached Sonagachi.’

She recalled that she left home on 12 Baisakh two years ago. She was also the eldest daughter in the family. She left home in search of work, leaving behind her two younger brothers, mother and father. She was taken to Kolkata from Kathmandu via Darjeeling and Siliguri. After being kept in a flat in Kolkata for 15-20 days, she informed that she was taken to No. 15 Nepali Kothi in Sonagachi. ‘I had reached there first, 2-3 months after I reached Nuwakot-1,’ she said, ‘There are many Nepali sisters and aunties there.’

Nuwakot-1 had tried to escape from No. 15 Nepali Kothi three times but failed. She succeeded on the fourth time. ‘I was caught twice, and even though I managed to escape the third time, I had to return on my own without knowing the way,’ she said, ‘It was hell. There was no way to stay even for a day.’ But, the unknown place and the fear of threats and intimidation made it impossible to leave. As they said, giving time to the customers had become a routine.’

According to them, from 6 am to 12 pm, customers had to be given 18 hours of time. After 12 pm, the door of the kothi was closed for 6 hours. ‘Not one or two, but 20 to 30 customers had to be given time a day. There was no other way. They would give medicine to keep the body healthy and reduce pain. That’s what we ate,’ said Nuwakot-1, ‘We kept wanting to leave. Even though we showed greed for money, we never got the money.’ She said that she was told that after working for 5 years, she would be allowed to go home and that she would be given 2 million rupees in cash and 10 tolas of gold at that time.

Nuwakot-2 was shown an account every month. ‘We have earned 200,000. They would say that 100,000 is ours and 100,000 is yours. Some months, they would show more than that. Money has been saved. They would say they would get it when they went home,' she said, 'but they never gave her money in hand.' She said that she was allowed to contact them only twice in two years at home. 'They were with them when they called. I couldn't tell the truth. I'm in India. I'm working. I told them not to worry,' she said, 'there was no possibility of getting out of there.'

Nuwakot-1 had already come under the watchful eye of the kothi owner. Because she tried to escape repeatedly, she was kept away from other Nepalis and more surveillance was kept on her. When she planned to go out with her regular customers, she managed to take Nuwakot-2 with her. 'Another sister had also said that she would go out with her.' But, it didn't work,' she said, 'after everyone went to bed at night, two Indian citizens, who often came to the house, took us out.' After taking us out, she said that they made a fuss when they realized that the two were also preparing to sell them.

'One of the two said that we should sell, and the other said not to do it,' she said, 'after knowing that, we had a fight. They handed us over to the Odisha police and escaped.' She said that they got in touch with Nepali officials by contacting the hotline phone of the embassy in Delhi. They managed to get out of the Nepali house at No. 15, Sonagachi about two weeks ago. 'I don't remember the exact day and date,' said Nuwakot-1, 'We were taken to Odisha from Kolkata.' We stayed in a shelter there for some time. Both of them, who managed to escape from the hellish life of Sonagachi, say that other Nepali girls there should also be rescued. Even if they get out of their hellish life, not everyone can do it, they have said that the local police are also in collusion. They say that the government should take some steps. Even if they get out of their hellish life, their path forward is not clear. What to do now, both of them say, 'I don't know.'