Dec 16, 2009

What would it feel like to have a "price on your head?"

What Happened?

We listened in awe as this tiny, powerful, courageous woman told us the story of Prajwala and how she began the work of rescuing victims of sexual slavery nearly 20 years ago. She is barely 40.

Next to Tim, Dr. Sunitha Krishnan, Ph. D., at about 4 feet 8 inches, looks very small. As she speaks, her passion, courage and commitment fill the room and boggle our minds and touch our hearts. We wish to hear more and do more. Our conversations continued.

The hearing in her right ear is gone, the result of a severe beating by crime bosses when she entered the Red Light District to rescue women and their children held against their will as sexual slaves. As she gestures, we see the misshaped bones in her arm. These, too, are the result of further severe beatings, multiple broken bones and threats to stay away from what organized crime bosses believe belongs to them. Dr. Krishnan believes these women and their children, held prisoners against their will, have the right to be rescued, not kept prisoners and sold for sex.

Most of all, the women plead, "Please take our children. Rescue them." And Dr. Krishnan does so, over and over again. Later, we ask how she handles all this. She smiles, and with sincere gentleness, she says, "Ah, you are so naive." We agree.

Silence sits with us for some seconds. Sunitha says, "My work cannot last forever. I am a target. Therefore, I have to act more quickly. We must rescue more children and women. We must ensure they have safe schools and a place to sleep, job training and good food."

More silence. She speaks again, and we hear what we so often hear from our many friends and clients. "I've told you more than I usually do to foreigners. I'll share more. The organized crime bosses have placed a huge price on my head. Many people want that prize. There is much work and so little time. I need you to speak out in America and make people aware."

We commit to doing this, knowing it will be difficult.

The landlord has told her he wants to sell the land on which the Prajwala complex containing the school, housing, kitchen, occupational training and actual producing businesses sit. He has had a large offer from a buyer who wishes to build a new mall!

What did I learn?

Carol: Today, someone spoke to me about these Reflections on India. She asked me if, now that I understand that sexual traffiking is also connected to global organized crime, am I not afraid to speak out and make this public? Am I putting myself and/or my family in danger?

Wow! My pulse began to beat as she asked me these questions. I asked myself, "Am I afraid?" Candidly, I said, " I had not thought about this, but I believe I am not afraid." It seems worse to me to choose to keep this new understanding of sexual trafficking quiet. If I were to see any child or any person being physically or emotionally attacked, I would expect myself to intervene or rapidly seek help, rather than walk away or turn my back.

For me, it's a lack of courage, a lack of conscience and consciousness to stay quiet, now that I know what I know. I promised to speak out and I will do so. I am ready to ask others to speak out.

People have also emailed us in response to our Reflections. The main question is how to learn more. We are identifying those resources and will share them. However, we do not have to be experts in order to share the stories we share here. Share the stories that we know, share each one. I've told you these stories. Tim has told you these stories. You can tell them now to others.

Please my friends, have the courage to keep the sharing flowing.

Tim: Do I have the courage that Sunitha has around critical issues in my life? I have never been challenged enough to know. What I do know is that I am in awe of those who have such courage. It is incredibly inspiring to be with a person so dedicated to her (our) cause. It makes me commit to doing more. While I often claim that I would be OK if "I die today," I wonder if I really would. I believe that Dr. Krishnan really would be OK.