Family sell off their 8-month-old daughter for Rs 200 to feed their families
Another case of selling of a child in Tripura is making the headlines after a tribal man confessed to the crime.
Karna Debbarma from Sarat Chandra ADC village of south Maharanpur has confessed selling off his eight-month-old daughter for Rs 200 to fetch some food for his family.
“Due to poverty, I was compelled to sell my child in order to feed my family,” he said.
Debbarma added: “In spite of demanding on several occasions, I only have an APL (above poverty line ration) card. I even did not get any house or toilet (which are generally provided free under the government’s flagship programme). I have demanded a house and a BPL (below poverty line ration card) to the Left Front government. I am poor and somehow run my family by selling straw and bamboo.
This is the third such case in this year where children are sold off to run their families in Tripura.
Debbarma added, “The politicians have been assuring me that when the appropriate time comes, they will fulfil my demands. But, they never gave us anything.”
There are six members of his family at present and their lives are dependent on selling of forest products. They are deprived of the various schemes launched by the Centre and the state government for the tribal people.
Local villagers alleged that in spite of the poor condition of Karna’s family, he got nothing from the government.
Sampri Debbarma, a local villager said, “I have seen Karna Debbarma for the last many years at Maharanipur. His condition is poor and he does not have a house to live. He had appealed to the government several times for a BPL card or a house, but he did not get anything. Ultimately, he sold one of his children for just Rs 200.”
“He runs his family by collecting straw, bamboo and firewood from the forest and sells them in Ghilatali or Mothcherra market. For so many years, the Left Front government is there in power but did nothing for the poor. He had seven members in his family. But after selling one of their children, they are now six”, Sampri added.