'Maintaining silence while witnessing evil biggest crime'

Bhagini Samaj celebrates platinum jubilee in Mangalore

The biggest crime one can do is to maintain silence when something evil is happening in the society. If all voiced out, then crime would not have prevailed, said Prajwala Co-Founder Dr Sunitha Krishnan after inaugurating the platinum jubilee celebrations of Bhagini Samaj in Mangalore on Friday.

Dr Sunitha Krishnan who rehabilitates women and children who are caught up in the human trafficking network inspired the audience with the story of her own life.

“I was sexually abused when I was a teenager and I know how it feels when one is socially excluded, scorned by the loved ones, ostracised and stigmatised by the society,” she said and added that she found power in the pain she faced. “There is a large volcano beneath layers. I understood my strength and my inner potential. I decided that I have to do something for the women who are sexually exploited,” she said.

Prostitution is the third biggest organised crime and over three million women are sold into prostitution. It is a 858 billion dollor industry.

“I wanted to fight against this oragnised crime. Once, around 500 women were evicted in a red-light area in Hyderabad called 'Mehaboob Ki Mehendi'.

It is sad that the government took steps only to evict them with no exit strategy. There was no rehabilitation. I worked for these women and it is sad that 20 of them committed suicide. I asked these women what should I do and they said forget about us. Do something for our children, they said. This made me start Prajwala with five children and today it has over 7,000 inmates,” she said.

Sunitha also gave various instances where she saved children as young as three-year-old from prostitution racket. “There are some women who are exploited so many times that they are used to it. They get angry when we offer help. Hence, I felt that different frame work was needed to help these women. The biggest challenge was what to do after we bring them out of the racket. Hence, we started making them independent with skill based vocations,” she said.

She concluded saying that there is a need to have faith in goodness. “If you give to the world unconditionally, the world will conspire to give what you want the most,” she said.
Bhagini Samaj President Vajra Rao gave a brief history on how the Samaj stared and remembered the women who have contributed to the Samaj immensely in the last 75 years.

KMC Professor of Medicine Dr Prabha Adhikari released the platinum jubilee souvenir. Alva's Education Foundation Chairman Dr Mohan Alva, SCDCC Bank Ltd President M N Rajendra Kumar were the guests of honour.

A cultural programme was organised as a part of the jubilee celebrations. Bhagini Samaj Children presented a folk dance and a skit was performed by Sanidhya Residential School children. A light music programme was performed by disciples of Usha Praveen of Kadri Sangeetha Vidhyalaya.