Shankar Acharya

Two young women, who were sold to a circus in India at the age of five and seven, reunited with their families after 17 years on Sunday.

Sanu Blon, 24, and Maya Singar, 22, were rescued by Sano Paila, a Birgunj-based non-profit organisation, from Alwar district of Rajisthan. The women had remained out of contact with their families in Makwanpur ever since they left for India with a man identified as Kishan Lama who had promised them work there.

Having spent nearly two decades in India, Sanu and Maya had difficulty recognising their parents and siblings at a reunion function organised in Birgunj. The two women said they were never paid by the circus where
they risked their lives performing various tricks. They said many Nepali young girls and women are forced to work for different circus companies in India without any pay.

“I had never imagined that I would see my family again,” shared Sanu.
Her mother, Kanchhimaya, first learnt about her daughter working for a circus in Rajisthan two years ago. “It took two years to bring her back. I am extremely happy right now.” Subir Ghosh of Sano Paila said support of the Nepali Embassy and various social organisations in India played an instrumental role in the rescue of the two women.

Published on: 21 May 2013 | The Kathmandu Post