Sita Rai, a resident of Manohara in Bhaktapur, visited Assam a few days ago, located the childcare centre in the Manikpur town and rescued her son Muktiram along with four other children—Muna Nepali (12), Kamala Nepali (10), Bardan Khadka (10) and Bibash Khadka—who are also from Manohara.

 

An Indian man identified as Dimeshwor Barman and two unidentified American nationals had reportedly taken the children from their parents with the promise of taking them to Canada last year. They were taken to Assam, instead.

 

When the parents contacted Barman to inquire about their children’s whereabouts, they learnt that the kids were in Assam, not in Canada as they were told.

 

Sita travelled all the way to Assam and brought the children back from the centre on her own. “They initially told me that the children were not there, but I insisted that I was not returning without the children,” Sita said. “Finally, they agreed to hand over the children.”

 

Barman and the two Americans had told the parents that their children would be taken to Canada and they would be educated there. The parents agreed as they thought their children would receive good education and a better life, away from a squatters’ settlement where they lived. “The people also gave us some money after we gave them our children,” said Sita. It was learnt that the children were beaten up and asked to do works like firewood collection and cleaning.

 

“They beat us almost everyday and we did not get meals on time,” said 12-year-old Muna Nepali. 

She said four children from Ilam and more than a dozen from Western Nepal are still languishing in the centre.