Tripura sold child rescued, handed over to mother

Agartala (Tripura) [India], May 5 (ANI): The Child Line team members along with state administration and police rescued the sold child and handed over to his biological mother. "We we to Dhansai Reangs house and after rescuing the child handed over him to his mother," said Child Line member Mrinalini Rakshit adding, "No step has been taken against Dhanasai and we came to know that the child was given to him by the mother so that she can go to work in the jhum. Similar was the version of government officials post at Gandacherra. SDM Gandacherra Govekar Mayur Ratilal claimed that the child was given to an extended family member while the SDPO Gandacher Jahar Lal Debbarma reiterated the same story but confessed that there was monetary transaction. However, he could not explain that if giving a child against any payment is not selling then what it means. The police have not taken any case against the incident. The news of a tribal mother selling her two year old son for mere Rs. 200 in remote Gandacherra subdivision of Tripura had hit headlines of national and international media much to the embarrassment of Communist government that is ruling Tripura over two decades. Meantime, the state Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Bijita Nath denying any such incident happening in the sate alleged that it is just a scandal to defame the government. She said, "A section of people are spreading rumours about incidents of child selling in Tripura but ultimately we did not find any monetary transaction in this incident. So there is no scope of any child being sold and the system does not allow that and if it is proved then there is provision for severe punishment." According to the Minister the child was just kept with a distant relative because her stepfather was not willing to keep him. But on the contrary the incident was exposed only after the father had opposed and complained against the mother's decision to sell the child and ultimately the village chief in a kangaroo court had ordered to get back the child. Meantime, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised the issue and criticized the government. They viewed that a sorry state of affairs is going on in Left ruled Tripura and the condition of the tribals are worst. BJP state observer Sunil Deodhar alleged that in spite of the centre giving huge amount for the development of the tribal people the money does not reach them as because of the rampant corruption being indulged by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. Two weeks back in a similar incident a tribal woman sold her 11 day old son for Rs. 5,000 to bear the cost of for treatment of her ailing husband at Rangia Tilla of Haldia ADC village under Teliamura police station in West Tripura. During the last two years at least five incidents of child selling by poor tribal families has been reported from Tripura. (ANI)