New Delhi, October 23 2010: It is an irony, no doubt about it and a cruel one at that, for while women from the North East region are accorded due respect and acknowledged for the leading roles they play in society, which is ridden with violence, their image takes a turn for the worse once they cross the Brahmaputra, with many cases of women from this region being raped and molested and trafficked making it to the pages of the newspapers.

The recent incident at a Beauty Parlour in Goa on October 9 is a case in point.

Altogether, Goa police rescued 11 girls from the North East from a beauty parlour at Povorim.

Out of the eleven girls six are reportedly from Nagaland while the rest are from Mizoram and latest media reports say that the girls would/have be/been taken home by their parents from protective homes provided by the Government of Goa.

The girls from Mizoram have been repatriated, while reports have come in that a team of Nagaland police is scheduled to proceed to Goa in connection with the case.

The girls who were rescued from the parlour, alleged that the owner tried to force them into the flesh trade.

According to some media reports, the owner of the said beauty parlour had rubbished the allegations raised by the girls.

When The Sangai Express contacted the DSP of Goa Police, Mohan Naik, he said that the girls have been shifted to Government run protective homes, until their parents or next of kin or an NGO come to take them back.

Stating that this was the not the first case of its kind, the police officer said, "Just a few days before the beauty parlour incident, some girls from Manipur were rescued and repatriated" .

The latest case came to light after the girls fled from the beauty parlour and managed to inform their parents back home, who informed their respective State police forces, said the DSP and added that they are in touch with other States.

A another shocking revelation came to light when some girls from the North East, who are currently working at several beauty parlours and private enterprises in Goa, contacted by this correspondent said they had to report to the police for verification.

Seven girls working at Rich Beauty parlour had to report to Panjim PS for verification on October 11, which was mandatory, they said.

A relative of one of the girls working in Goa, told this correspondent, on conditions of anonymity, that the girls were subjected to queer and weird questionings, some of which were full of innuendos such as "whether they are from Nagaland in connection with the case or whether they have come to Goa from the same job" .

So if one is a girl from the North East and wants to work at Goa in any capacity, it is mandatory to go through the whole rigmarole of police verifications and identifications as well as furnish the reason why one is there.

Fortunately for the girls, a gentleman from Ukhrul, who is stationed at Goa as a Music Teacher, simply and simply identified as and simply identified as Mungreingam has extended his help in filling the verification forms, and has stood by as the witness and surety of the girls, before the Deputy Collector, said one of the girls, while talking to this correspondent.

The girls, as instructed by the Goa police are presently kept at a protection home, since then..

"I have been told by the police to come again on Tuesday (October 26)," said Mungreingam .

Comment