For many kids, running away to join the circus is an exciting dream, but for some Nepalese children, running away from the circus is the best they can hope for. They have been caught up in a disturbing trade - children sold to Indian ringmasters, who train and beat them to learn new tricks.
Big tops are big business in India, with thousands flocking to the country's touring circuses, but behind the bright lights and broad smiles, lies a miserable story of child trafficking and abuse. going undercover with a charity trying to rescue children from unscrupulous circus owners.
first-hand evidence of the estimated 2,000 children being exploited and abused in India's mostly unregulated circuses. Many are trafficked from Nepal, after being sold by their impoverished families into a 'better life'.
Carrying out rescue raids is difficult for staff at the Esther Benjamins Memorial Foundation, with owners going to great lengths to avoid being caught, but the horror stories from the rescued children in their care keep them going.
The circus industry in India has a long and proud history, stretching back to the 19th century. Today, the traditional travelling big tops are still hugely popular with hundreds of them offering entertainment across the country. But whilst some of these circuses are professional and well run, many others are not.
The industry has a dark side - a secret and sinister world involving child labour and the exploitation of child performers. It's feared there are between 1,000 and 2,000 children involved, many of whom have been illegally trafficked from neighbouring Nepal and many with disturbing stories of violence and abuse.
They then made their way with the children heading back towards the circus, which was a bizarre decision.
RENU SINGH: Yes, we've got the girls. We are here. Yes we've got the girls, they are all minors.
PHILIP HOLMES: And it just really seemed to indicate to us that they didn't really know what they were doing.
SHAILAJA: They are taking them inside. What is happening? It is not fair!
MAN: We are doing our official work!
PHILIP HOLMES: You are not taking them back into the circus! Thankfully at that point a police vehicle arrived and all the children were picked up.
SHAILAJA : We will come along with you, don't worry. We will come along with you, nothing will happen.
Now in police custody the girls are taken to the CWC government home. The EBMF team follow. When they arrive they are barred from entering and having any further access to the children. This, they are told, is because all the children are migrated Nepalis with Indian nationality and are therefore outside of EBMF' s jurisdiction. At the same time, we are stopped from attending an impromptu press conference. We find out later that the local NGO has claimed credit for the rescue operation. Six children were rescued that day. They were all under 14 years old and of Nepali origin, whose families now live in India. After 10 days of counselling the children were reunited with their relatives.
In the aftermath of the raid at Deradhun the circus owner has been reported to the labour ministry and is facing charges of bonded labour and child labour. But the authorities have yet to conduct any further investigation. Meanwhile the Apollo circus is still operating in and around the north Indian state of Utterakhand. It is thought that four of the children, seen performing in the show, are still inside.
PHILIP HOLMES: The bottom line is there are still girls within that circus and of course the circus owner is still a free man so my feeling at this stage is that there's another 4-5 years of work in this.
Back at the refuge, some of the more recently rescued children like Choutu are settling in to their new lives, now with a chance of a real childhood and an education. For Shailaja, its back to planning for the next raid.
SHAILAJA: I am not a specialist in anything except rescue. I always go for the rescue and I am capable of doing that because we are not going to harm anyone. We are saving the lives of the children.
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appolo circus in ludhianaby 6163sandy571 views
it better stay in india
yf777a 2 months ago