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Tribal kids en route to TN brought back to Rajasthan; BJP MP seeks conversion probe
Officials said two girls and five boys were taken from their villages on July 15 and sent by bus to Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, and then by train to Goa
Seven tribal children, aged between seven and 12, from Rajasthan’s Udaipur district have been brought from Goa, while they were allegedly being trafficked to Tamil Nadu under the pretext of free education, officials said on Sunday. Authorities are investigating whether a larger trafficking network was operating in Rajasthan’s tribal areas.
Officials said two girls and five boys were taken from their villages on July 15 and sent by bus to Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, and then by train to Goa. Investigators suspect they were being taken to Tamil Nadu when the Railway Police intercepted the group after receiving information about a large number of children travelling together.
Udaipur Child Welfare Committee executive member Yashoda Paniya said a joint team of the panel and the Udaipur Police rushed to Goa after receiving information from their counterparts and brought the children back. “The children are currently being questioned in the presence of their parents and local villagers. They will be handed over to their families only after the inquiry is completed,” Paniya said.
Investigators were verifying information suggesting that more than 15 children from the Udaipur division may have previously been sent to Tamil Nadu under similar circumstances. Paniya said no case has been registered so far, as the inquiry is underway. She added that legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Mannalal Rawat, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament from Udaipur, wrote to Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Union home minister Amit Shah seeking a high-level probe. He demanded the constitution of a Special Investigation Team. Rawat urged that agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, the National Investigation Agency, and the Central Bureau of Investigation, examine the case.
Rawat alleged that an active interstate network could be luring poor and tribal children with promises of free education and employment before taking them to other states for religious conversion. He claimed that similar cases previously surfaced in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Kalinjara in Banswara, Kanod, and other tribal pockets of southern Rajasthan.
Rawat referred to statements of political leaders regarding religious conversion and the identity of tribals and said that such remarks deepen social divisions and communal tensions. He called for an impartial investigation into all aspects of the case, including the possible involvement of organised groups, NGOs, interstate networks and financial links. Rawat sought strict legal action against anyone found guilty.
Police have not confirmed the allegations of an organised interstate religious conversion network. They said the investigation is at a preliminary stage and all possible angles, including the circumstances under which the children were taken out of Rajasthan, are being examined before any conclusions are drawn.
