By Dipin Damodharan

By recognizing Anuradha Koirala as one of its top ten heroes the television giant CNN has brought the tremendous service of Nepal’s hero to the fore. It was in last month that CNN selected Anuradha Koirala, a Nepali activist, as one of its top ten heroes. The name Anuradha Koirala may be alien to Indians. When someone sounds the name Anuradha Koirala-the organization Maiti Nepal has come up to the mind of a common Nepali. The objective of this article is to introduce Anuradha Koirala and her activities to the unknown masses in the world. Who is Anuradha Koirala? What is Maiti Nepal?  Why CNN recognized her as a great hero? Let us have an in depth journey into the tremendous story of Maiti Nepal.

If someone wants to know Anuradha, he has to study the activities of Maiti Nepali. It is an organization fighting to end women trafficking in Nepal. Anuradha started Maiti Nepal in 1993 with two rooms. After 17 years Maiti Nepal has outreach in 29 districts of Nepal, and also a worldwide network of supporters. The organization is at the forefront in rescuing and rehabilitating victims of trafficking. It has rescued over 12,000 girls so far, including12 girls from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia recently. CNN has recognized Koirala’s contribution to combat trafficking by choosing her as one of its top10 CNN Heroes 2010. CNN Heroes is an effort to honor people those who have made a praiseworthy contribution to revolutionize the globe.

The menace of trafficking has been a serious problem in Nepal for several years. During the 1990s domestic violence and trafficking had at its peak. Anuradha, a school teacher upholding the values of humanity, decided to fight against this evil. This paved the way for Maiti Nepal in 1993. By using her income she initially helped some women, victims of domestic violence, to start a new life. This initiative has got the support from the UNICEF. Subsequently with the support of several personalities from various strata of the society Maiti Nepal had born.

As a result of the splendid campaign and actions by Maiti Nepal, trafficking turned out to be an issue in the public eye. The approach towards trafficking and its victims has altered. The ruling class considers this a critical issue. Political parties have at least included combating trafficking as part of their agenda. Another major development is that the government has endorsed 5 September as anti-trafficking day in Nepal. Those, who did the crime of trafficking, are convicted; Maiti Nepal alone has helped convict 496 traffickers.

For rehabilitation, Maiti Nepal is generating employment opportunities and training programmes for girls. The organization is of the view that, when it comes to society, it has nothing to say if the girl is economically empowered.
Social scientists are of the opinion that trafficking takes place because of lack of education and employment opportunities. Education is still not free in the villages and as a parent one sees more value in educating the son rather than the daughter. The government has to make education free and compulsory, fining those who don’t educate their children. Then the government can develop life skill training to address the problem of unemployment. The organizations fighting for these have so many limitations. Only the government would be able to root out this menace completely. But the worst part is that instable governments in Nepal have not able to take any policies or actions to tackle this kind of evils. If the Nepali society searches out a stable and responsible government then the movements lead by activists like Anuradha would be a great success.

The CNN award is an ideal recognition for Anuradha, the hero of the oppressed Nepali women and definitely it will be a boost to her selfless service to protect human values.