Film review : Mardaani

Maradaani is the latest offering from Yash Raj films.It is directed by Pradeep Sarkar of Parineeta (Vidya Balan's debut film ) fame.Produced by Rani Mukherjee's hubby,Aditya Chopra.It stars Rani Mukherjee ,a new talent Tahir Raj Bhasin,Mona Ambegaonkar,others.

The story is about a tough police woman ,Shivani Shivaji Roy.She is senior Inspector ,Crime Branch Mumbai police.She breaks bones without batting an eyelid.She has a niece & hubby at home.The niece's buddy ,a  flower girl who sells flowers on the streets goes missing from an orphanage.Shivani starts her search.And the bodies start piling up.This alerts her that ,her missing teenager is caught in a sex trafficking racket.The stakes are high.Her family is hit because she dares to trace  the girl.She moves to Delhi as the villain is located there.In Delhi,the police chief is apathetic like the society. The villain is   burger,biryani  & coke hungry .A video game addict He knows the moves & the tricks of the trade.He tries to threaten Shivani & yet her mission to find the missing teenager does not falter.Does Shivani manage to get the racket exposed ? Is she able to rescue the teenager or is it, too late ? Who is the kingpin  ....the suave villian or is it some one else pulling the strings ?

There is just one song in the film....sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.The  lyrics of the song too strong & convey the message that all must fight back.




 The story is of flesh trade.This movie raises  awareness about the lurking dangers of flesh trade .It is rampant the world over & especially, in India.If people think ,it happens to girls of the lower classes,it's time to have a re think.Sex trafficking is endemic across all countries,all colours,all races,creeds,etc.Majority of the victims are women & children..The  Boko Haram kidnapping of girls who were converted to Islam & sold off is a case in point.In Iraq,Yazidi girls are being kidnapped by ISIS jihadis for trafficking.Not that other places are left out.Nepali & Bangladeshi girls & women are lured by promises of better life & sold into the flesh trade in India.India is the major transit point.Wikipedia As per  estimates,3 to 4 lac people are trafficked in Asia.More than 30,000 kids go missing in India annually.Only a third are traced.This is apart from those, who are sold off by people the victims trusted and or others.Some are kidnapped & still  others are lured by promises of better life.

Kindly support organizations which are trying their best to end suffering & bring succor to the sex trafficking victims.Prajwala is one such NGO doing laudable work in this regards.Support for PRAJWALA can be given here .

The film also exhibits how technology is being abused to sell girls.Tabs & tokens are used to select girls vide their profiles etal .Someone rightly said," Progress is not WiFi at every street.Progress is, when no 13 year old girl is sold  at any street."

Please feel free to leave the links of NGOs who are working with sexual trafficking victims in the comments below.

Prajwala by Sunitha Krishnan

The safety of girls & women  in our country is a growing concern.So many girls  & women go missing year after year.Their missing complaints if filed ,are simply closed shut.Many families are better off without the girls & women  as they are themselves poor .Brother,fathers,uncles,aunts,granddads,-all are involved in selling off girls & women.Many times,it is they who violate the girl and or the women & then sell them in the flesh trade.They are exploited sexually & tortured horrendously which leaves scars for life.Girls as young as three to four years old are being violated physically as also mentally .Today it is some female,& tomorrow it could be any one of us.That is why ,an urgent need, to become aware & then prevent such abuse of the most horrific kind.

People in high places are selling off girls & women for prostitution . This is illegal trafficking of humans.If & when  some fortunate ones are rescued,their family members refuse to take them back fearing wrath of the community,society etc.So ,they are left to fend for themselves.They  are then sucked into the same cesspool from which they were rescued.

Prajwala means eternal flame.Prajwala is housed in Hyderabad. Prajwala manages 17 schools in Hyderabad for  5000 children .Prajwala has rescued 2500 survivors.Nearly 1500 survivors were personally set free by Sunitha Krishnan herself.Prajwala coordinates rescue work among governments,NGOs & corporations. Her efforts in this regard has led to partnership between NGOs & companies like Amul,Taj Group of Hotels & Heritage hospitals.The rehabilitated women have found jobs in the aforesaid companies.Prajwala has forged ties with UN & other NGOs in setting up printing & furniture shops wherein nearly 300 survivors have found a fresh lease of life !

In this regard,Prajwala is doing exemplary work. Prajwala an NGO,  is co founded by Dr.Sunitha Krishnan. She is the face of Prajwala. Prajwala rescues girls & women who are sold off in the flesh trade. Prajwala gives them shelter & rehabilitates them..Prajwala trains rescued  girls & women by training them in crafts like carpentry housekeeping, masonry,printing & welding. Psychological care is also provided to the survivors to overcome the trauma of sexual abuse & torture.

Image courtesy :Wikipedia

Dr Sunitha Krishnan

Sunitha Krishnan is herself ,a survivor of gang rape which happened when she was barely 15 years old.She is well educated with a B.Sc.in Environmental Science,MSW in Psychiatric Social Work & Ph. D in Social Work.She is more than amply qualified for her pioneering work in this regard. Sunitha Krishnan has made the world take note of the scourge of flesh trade.She has been awarded many international & national awards for her pioneering work in this regard.She has been awarded the Perdita Huston International  Award for human rights-2007,Real Heroes award-2008,Vanitha Woman of the year-2009,Indiavision Person the year-2011,Global Leadership Award-2011,IRDS Safdar Hashmi Award 2012 for Human Rights,Stree Shakti Puraskar,Government of India ,etc.The UNODC -Real Heroes award for combating human trafficking has been conferred on Sunitha Krishnan in 2008.

Prajwala is doing a job, which we as a society and community, would just like to wish away.Hence, funds are extremely difficult to come by for such work though it is outstanding.Hence,I am doing my bit by writing about the awesome work that Sunitha Krishnan is doing by fighting against flesh trade which has brought & continues to bring untold misery to millions of women & children ,the world over .As someone rightly said ,"Progress is not wifi on every street .....progress is hen no thirteen year old will be sold on the streets."

Prajwala

I was introduced to Prajwala by a friend through the net. As I read &  understood ,what Sunitha Krishnan has done & continues to do ,I was filled with admiration & respect for  her.


She herself was a victim of gang rape & she rose from the ashes to rescue others from trafficking.The tasks she has on hand are just too enormous.Her orgainisation has been instrumental in rescuing & rehabilitation of hundreds & thousands of women &children.

She has a blog titled "Sunitha Krishnan :The Anti Trafficking Crusader " where she recounts her experiences of rescue.Actually ,her blog is not an easy read.It is very difficult sorry impossible to read about small girls ( as young as four year old ) being raped by dads, uncles,brothers,cousins & neighbours.A seven year old  was violently raped .Her blog posts can just shame us all out of our peaceful existence.The least we can do is spread awareness about the scrouge of trafficking.



We are a very proud nation, always boasting of our glorious past & the economic gaint we have become now.We seem to brush under the carpet ,the sins committed by us.Trafficking is increasing at an alarming rate & no one is spared.Girls are brought in from Nepal & sold to brothels all over our nation.The alarming part is that people who are involved in all this are the ones who are trusted by victims.

Fathers,brothers,uncles,grandfathers,cousins,neighbours,acquitances,friends -all are involved in this dirty business.In some cases,they are the ones who violate the victims first & then invite others to do so for a price ! Really how sadist can anyone get ? Many atimes ,the mother or female relatives who raises a voice are silenced by money or threats or rape or by death.Hence,the victims are utterly helpless.


The condition of the victims is worse than that of slaves ! The victims are subjected to the worst form of sexual abuse often accompanied by violence.It leaves the victims emotionally as also physically brutalised.The victims have to keep catering to many clients & end up with HIV/AIDS.Then, they are just discarded as they are now useless & cannot bring in any returns for their owners.


Sunitha's orgainisation 'Prajwala " has been rehabilitating the victims after rescuing them. Shelters have been built & a factory has been opened where skills like carpentary ,welding ,etc are taught to the girls.Prajwala also tries to unite the victims with their families.Sometimes ,the victims are not accepted back by the families owing to the backwardness of our views on women.At such times,Prajwala takes full responsibilty of such victims.Some women & girls are also married off by Prajwala in its endeveour to integrate the victims back into society.Prajwala also takes care of the last rites of the victims who pass away.In all these tasks,Prajwala faces stiff opposition from our society .


Prajwala works with police & other law enforcement agencies in this job of fighting commercial sexual expolitation.Prajwala never seeks publicity for the rescue of the girls.Prajwala lets its  work speaks for itself.


Prajwala & Sunitha have won many awards for their exemplery work.They are now sought after ,the world over for rescue & rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.Even State governments are listening to Prajwala &  Sunitha in prevention of trafficking.All this, will surely help in minimising this crime .

Sunitha has said time & again that the silence of the society towards human trafficking has to change.Let us become aware & appreciate Prajwala.

One can become a follower by joining Sunitha Krishnan's blog @http://sunithakrishnan.blogspot.com/.One can also 'Like" Prajwala on facebook to get updates on Prjawala.


Please spread the word around on the net- on social networks,through emails,through twitter ,etc.This will be our contribution to this noble cause.