Buy Back Offer (with a slight difference)
Three months ago, i deputed our project coordinator Ashita, to council a family who were about to marry their 13 year old daughter Anamika (Name changed). In spite of our efforts, the marriage still happened. It was evident that the girl was also very happy to be married as she said she always liked this guy who happens to be a Polio victim and moves around in a wheel Chair.
We all consider Dowry system to be an evil practice and several young women die every year in our country because of this practice. The community we work with is free from this evil. Our community lives under a fly over and have no fixed housing, they can not even be called a slum. So the idea of the marriage here is the Man pays the money to the family of the girl to marry her, sounds better than the evil dowry system, but eventually this is a form of human trafficking and here it is considered that the girl becomes the man's property since he has paid for her.
July 6, 2009
We were called in as there has been major fights between the two families the previous night. Anamika also tried committing suicide by standing on the train track (thank God she was saved) and the Boy's family are preparing to sell her to a brothel since neither the boy nor the girl wants to be in the marriage. The reasons were;
1. The girl being just 13 is not able to take the physicality of marriage
2. Since the girl avoids the boy who is, as it is complexed of his handicapped, considers her character less
When we intervened, we were given this unique buy back offer. The boy has paid Rs 17000 for the girl, so if we pay that sum the girl will be free.
We offered the following solutions;
1. We take both of them under our Reboot Project (to know more about reboot http://www.catalystindia.in/whatwedo.aspx?projectid=16&projectname=Reboot ) Support them fully and provide them life skills.
2. Give some time to the girl to be physically ready and in the mean time we can train her with life skills in our Diversion Project (to know more about Diversion http://www.catalystindia.in/whatwedo.aspx?projectid=15&projectname=diversion )
Both the options were trashed by all of them as no one is willing to trust each other.
Now the options we have
1. Involve the police and the women welfare department and make sure the girl is not sold
Repercussions : Police and the judiciary are considered an enemy by this community for obvious reasons, if we involve the police we will lose the trust and respect of this community which we have built over last 2 and half year. Also, since the girl is the minor, the custody will be with her parents who both are severe alcoholics and in all possibility sell her again. The police will not camp there so, the girl will be beaten up as she is so far.
2. Let the situation take its own course
Repercussions : If the girl is sold to a brothel, Catalyst will have to live with this burden for as long as we exist, because then, rescuing her will be impossible.
3. Pay the Money and get the girl to a safe place
Repercussions : Setting a wrong trend
The Boy's family under no circumstances are willing to let go of her without money. Anamika's father, who, as i mentioned earlier is an alcoholic, has even agreed to sign a paper of no responsibility, if the girl is being sold out by the boy's family.
Please write in your suggestions to this unique buy back offer, it will be of great value to Catalyst.
Regards
Abhishek Gier
Executive Director
Catalyst India
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