Lakshmi

I watched the movie "Lakshmi " directed by Nagesh Kuknoor in a local theatre.It conveys very strongly, that trafficking in girls, is a horrific reality.

This is the story of Lakshmi ,a minor girl, who is sold off for a few thousands, to a corporator & a female one at that ! Then her nightmare begins.She reaches the home of a kind man.He ravages her first & then she is sent to a brothel.Every night ,she serves customers all night .As she cleanses ,herself after each customer,the lumps rise in the throat .And before the lumps can be swallowed,many more rise.It is heart wrenching to watch her go through the same ordeal so many times in one night.This continues night after night.In between all this ,she tries to run away some times.Every time, she fails & is slapped ,beaten black & blue into submission. Does she manage to  fly like a kite   towards freedom  ? Do her tormentors get punished ? What about her two sisters, who are seperated, when she is sold off ?

The film torments .It is brutal,  to the core .The film depicts that  men, across all ages,all sections of society,  take immense pleasure in sleeping with minor girls.They just want sex.They  care a damn,  if the girl is unwell. Their raging libidos need to be satiated,nothing less.Some scenes are such, that the viewer, cannot dare look at them.


Official trailer : courtesy You Tube 

All performers Satish Kaushik,Shefali Shan,Monali Thakur,Ram Kapoor & the director, who acts in the film have given stellar performances.Swear words & double meaning words are used freely.The film is an honest & brave attempt, to create awareness about sexual trafficking of women & children worldwide.It is estimated that human trafficking is the third largest organised crime after illegal drug industry & arms trade.

The movie gives jitters as it reveals dark secrets like increasingly minors are in high demand in sex trade & examines the reasons allegedly behind the same.Many are suffering from STDs ( SexuallyTransmitted diseases ). And there are myths  that having sex with a virgin  is a cure for STDs.These reasons & the aftermath,  are enough to stun us into silence.

Let us speak out against child sexual abuse,child pornography sexual trafficking.Let us speak  for compulsory sex education in schools.Let us be aware of the dangers, that are lurking #Child Sexual Abuse Awareness .

This blog post is for letter "L" in the A to Z Blogging Challenge,2014.

Sharing blog posts of two fellow bloggers :

Lizzi Rogers 

Shinjini Mehrotra 

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."