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Rama Devi, Andhra Pradesh Trafficking and Dowry
My parents are poor, illiterate, as a result they got me married at my childhood, I was subjected to domestic violence by my FIL, MIL and SIL and as a result I was trapped in human trafficking and see how my story is.

My name is Rama Devi. I belong to Chippalamdugu village of Kadiri mandal. Our village was so beautiful with trees, ghats and rivers. My fathers’ name is Chinna Kullayapp, we belong to Schedule Catse, Madiga, very poor, don’t have any land but had some goats and sheep. My mother looked goats and father was working as agriculture labour and they studied me up to seventh standard.

At my fifteen years of age father listened to somebody’s sayings and married me to Obulesu who belonged to Mangalamadaka village. Till four months of marriage my husband Obulesu, MIL Gowramma, SILs Pedda Narayanamma, Chinna Naraynamma and FIL Kashappa looked after me very well. After six months they started harassing me with words. My husband used me show me Hell every night after listening to their words. Still I was bearing all the harassment. My MIL and SILs forced my husband to demand for dowry and he said that if I bring money then only I can be his wife if not asked me to leave the home. I used to think from where I should bring dowry? My MIL has a thought of marrying my husband to her brother’s daughter as second marriage if I don’t bring dowry. I was bearing all the harassment and pain but did not tell my parents about dowry. Meanwhile I became pregnant and delivered a girl baby. Since I delivered a baby girl my husband started harassing me differently, because our daughter does not have any features of my husband. He started blaming my character. I used to cry everyday with his harassment.

One day everybody in the family beat me mercilessly alleging that I did not cook properly. Not able to bear with the beatings I ran way with my child from their house to my mother’s village, Chippalamadugu. I could not find my parents over there and when I enquired, villagers told me that my parents migrated to Rayachoty in Kadapa, for work as there was no work in the village. I collected money from the village and left to Rayachoty. My parents are working in brick kiln. I shared all my experiences of pain and harassment at my in law’s place. My father after hearing my story went to my husband’s village and tried to convince my husband to take me back, but he did not listen. “Your daughter has left our house, now we don’t want her back and we will marry our son to another girl, you do what ever you want to do” said the FIL. My father was unable to do anything and he asked me to be bold and patient. I was also joined my parents in brick kiln work.

I met with Ramana who is also working in Brick Kiln, who told me that “you can’t work here, it is waste how much effort in this work and it won’t be sufficient for food”. He told that his sister Nagamma is working in Shavukaru’s house and getting good wage. “I will talk to her and put you also in the same house” he told one day. I also not able to work in Brick kiln and believed his words I went along with him to Rayachoty check post near Chittoor road where his sister lives. They looked after me very well for ten days. Nagamma used to tell me everyday that you will get less in domestic work and we can’t live with this money. She also told me that “if you listen to me you can earn more with less work” I asked what is that work? Nagamma asked me to do commercial sex work. I did not agree for that. She forced me to do sex work for two days still I did not listen to her. The she said “why do you want to stay here go to your home”. At that time only an orphan girl, Pushpa who works in a hotel in Rayachoty was brought to Nagamma. Then she told me “any way you going back to village why don’t you have a cool drink and go?” and she gave me a Thums Up bottle and one more to Pushpa. Both of us drank the drink and we completely lost our consciousness.

We got consciousness after two days. I was in a big Railway station, besides Pushpa and Nagamma are sitting. I don’t understand the language they are speaking. From there they took Pushpa and me to an unknown place in a car. They left us in a big bungalow. After two days, the Ayamma, Panipattu Shobha (who supervises the sex work) came to us and she took over all our clothes and cut our hair. We felt ashamed looking at ourselves. She forced us to do sex work. We did not agree. She poured chilly power in our eyes. Our eyes were burning, the beat us with iron rods, still we said we won’t do that work. The she abused us saying that she bought us for Rs. 30,000 and we should earn that money and go back if we don’t want to work. She kept us in dark room for two days and did not even give water to drink. Third day she opened the door, I was unconscious, lot of women are around me, they insisted me that I should listen to what the Garhwali tells other wise she will kill you.

I listened to their words and started doing sex work. With half clothes and empty stomach I practiced it till eleven months. Garhwali used to take all the money, she did not even give me single paisa, and they don’t allow me to go out. Later I came to know that I was kept under Bhiwandi red light area in Maharashtra. I can’t escape from there and I don’t know either Hindi or Marathi, customers don’t know Telugu. Everyday twenty to thirty clients used to come to me and my body has become rotten.

One day one client came to me, he talked to me Telugu. I felt very happy. I told my entire story to him. He booked me for next day. His friend booked Pushpa. They gave advance to Garhwali and took us to Bhiwandi railway station. They purchased tickets for both of us with their money. We reached Rayachoty, and found that our parents are staying there and I took Pushpa to my house. I cried looking after our house; the goats and sheeps are not there because my parents sell all those animals in search of me and they borrowed money from landlord. My father became a ‘Paleru’ in landlord’s house. My daughter was also kept in land lord’s house for the money they have taken.

Knowing that two women from Mumbai red light came back to home, REDS persons came to us and they spoke to us and given lot of confidence among us. REDS organization’s Bhanuja madam gave me complete support. I got confidence that there are other women like me in the organization’s working area. With Bhanuja madam’s inspiration I thought of filing a case against Ramana, Nagamm and others. I along with my father, and brothers at REDS went ‘Patnam’ police station give request. We observed for two weeks but no case filed.

We told about his to Kadiri DSP, and then he told that we file the case at Rayachoty. Madam told that under ITPA a woman can file a case any where still the DSP did not listen. Bhanuja madam took me to big meeting at Hyderabad and I shared about my story in front of all the big police people in a mike. The police then registered my case. Then my self, Ramanamma akka and Kadiri police went to Rayachoty and arrested the brokers who sold me to Bhiwandi and send to sub-jail.

The persons behind why I became like this are my husband, mother in law and sisters in law and I filed case against domestic violence. After knowing they came to my madam pleaded like anything to withdraw the case. I came out from Mumbai with five months pregnancy and after coming here I delivered a girl baby. My husband, MIL and SIL apologized me and they have given in writing that they won’t harass me any further and will look after my second daughter also like his own daughter.

When I was in my village, Chinnodu from Erram Doddi village came to me and said “you have gone to Mumbai brothel why don’t you come to me I will Rs.50”. I told it to Madam, she took me to police station and a case was registered against Chinnodu. REDS organization is behind me for my each and every work. I am attending to all the meetings organized by REDS. I met lot of women who are rescued like me in the meetings. Everybody’s problems are same. There are 90 women like me who are getting support from REDS. Everybody is working on their own and living with dignity and by seeing all of them I got confidence and belief in my life. I depend on REDS for everything. The doors are open at anytime.

Banuja madam took me to the Collector. I told my story and they released an amount of Rs.10,000/- for my temporary livelihood. I brought a sewing machine with that money and now am stitching clothes which is my livelihood. I have two daughters, first is six years age studying in LKG and second is three years and we are living with my husband in Mangalamadaka village. The govt. also given me a house patta. I want to teach the village girls in stitching and live on their own earnings and I want all of them away from the brothel houses.

I have a suggestion to govt. officials that they should ban child marriages, and teach free education to all girls, and hold meetings in villages about the harassment at brothel houses so that the children and elders in the village know about the issue. The Govt also should give vocational training to children of eleven to eighteen years in villages from poor communities and with complete alleviation of poverty there will be awakening in lives of people such as me.