No relief for rescued Gondu girls

Hyderabad: The misery of Gondi tribal girls of Adilabad continue even after they are rescued and sent to their families. Coming back home is equally painful with tribal leaders banishing them from the community. If any family were to flout the community heads’ orders and accept the girl, the family too faced a similar fate. Founder of Revolution Welfare Society, an NGO working for tribals, Ch. Anil said the customs in Gondi community were very strict especially against women. “Gondis don’t accept a woman who has left home without the prior permission of the family head, even if it is for a day. They exile her from the community. If any family accepts the girl, the community heads exile them too”, he said.

Fearing ostracisation, last year, a family from Salevada (B) village refused to accept their daughter who came back from Rajasthan and declared that they considered her ‘dead’. Similar incidents were reported in Masaka Gondu Guda in Indravelly mandal and Kolamguda in Kerameri mandal. About five girls were rescued from various parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan last year and all of them faced an identical problem with their community heads. "Once the community heads ban a family, the family members cannot participate in any festival and other families don’t support them either. Due to this, many victims then go back to the agents and ask them to send them back", he said.