The Story Of A Mother's Battle To Free Her Son From 13 Years Of Slavery: The Long Road Home

Araria: Thirteen years after being lured into a human trafficking syndicate as a child, a young man named Munna (alias Jamshed) has finally returned to his roots in Karela village under Bausi police station limits in Araria district of Bihar. In this entire episode, Munna's mother, Zarina, played a crucial role and fought a long, lonely battle for her son's return.

Munna's ordeal began at the age of 12, when he was deceived by brokers -- Murshid, Fekna and Dukhan. At Varanasi railway station, his original captors sold him to another broker.

"They took me from Karela to Varanasi on the pretext of getting me a job. Murshid, Fekna and Dukhan had taken me there. I worked for 10 days. I was also beaten there. Then, at Varanasi station, they handed me over to another man after taking money from him. Later, the company told me I had been sold for Rs 16 lakh. They said, 'We can't release you until the full amount is paid.' They sent me to Guwahati by train," said Munna, still in a state of trauma.

From Kamakhya, he recalled that they took him to Nagaland and from there to a rod manufacturing company in Myanmar. "There, I was subjected to a lot of violence," said Munna.

Throughout his 13 years of captivity, Munna made several desperate attempts to escape. However, the factory's security was impenetrable. Every time he was caught at the gate, he was brutally beaten.

In addition to physical violence, Munna reported being subjected to unknown injections and having his blood drawn against his will.

Despite the tight security and years of trauma, Munna never lost his desire to see his mother again.

On the other side of the country, Zarina was stubborn to find his son. She travelled between Araria, Patna and Delhi in connection with the court cases. In 2012, she lodged a case at the Bausi police station. She knocked on the doors of officials and the courts. Finally, with the help of the Child Welfare Committee, Zarina was able to bring her son back home after almost 13 years.

Narrating her experience, Zarina said, "I filed cases from Patna to Delhi. The judge refused to grant bail to the accused and ordered that the child be returned within three months. After the court's attachment order, my son has finally been released. My son has returned home after 13 years. He has suffered a lot of injustice."

Now a young man, Munna has finally managed to escape the iron smelting company and return to his family in Araria, bringing with him a harrowing account of the violence and forced labour he had to endure in a foreign land.

Deepak Verma, Chairman of the Child Welfare Committee, said, "This is a victory for a mother's struggle. Cases of human trafficking are on the rise and are a matter of concern in the India–Nepal border areas. There is a need to stop this."

"After a long court battle, Munna's family was able to recover him from the traffickers. Following strict orders from the Hon’ble court, the traffickers, under pressure, released Munna at Araria railway station after bringing him from Myanmar via Nagaland," said Deepak Verma, Chairman, Child Welfare Committee, Araria.

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