Mallika Sherawat requests Sushma Swaraj to help NGO founder get visa

Mallika has made the request for Evelien Holsken, co-founder of the NGO, as her visa application has been repeatedly rejected.

Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to help in facilitation of an Indian visa for a co-founder of the NGO Free-A-Girl. Mallika has made the request for Evelien Holsken, co-founder of the NGO, as her visa application has been repeatedly rejected.

Mallika Sherawat poses as she arrives for the screening of Jimmy's Hall at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 22, 2014. (AFP)

The actor works closely with Free-A-Girl India, which fights against human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children in India. “Ma’am Sushma Swaraj, co-founder of Dutch NGO Free-A-Girl has been repeatedly denied visa to India. This NGO is doing superb work for trafficked children and women. Please help!” Mallika tweeted on Monday.

The NGO focuses on creating awareness about the problem of child prostitution and the impunity of offenders of child prostitution, and is mobilising support of the local community to fight against this crime. Mallika is the brand ambassador of School for Justice, a unique programme by Free-A-Girl which helps girls who have been rescued from brothels by providing them with education, training and support in order to help them become lawyers and work within the judicial system.

“I feel very strongly about this issue and felt the urge to seek help in order to get support from the government and be granted visa allowance to the co-founder who has been tirelessly working for the benefit of Indian children and women. Sushma Swarajji has always addressed issues such as these and I am hoping to seek a positive response from her,” Mallika said in a statement.