Sundargarh: Normal life was partially hit in Odisha’s Sundargarh on Wednesday due to a 12-hour bandh called by the Kosala Samaj in protest against the alleged exploitation of migrant tribal girls by their employers in Tamil Nadu.
While the bandh supporters blocked the State Highway No 10 stranding hundreds of vehicles, traffic within the city was sparse. Academic and business establishments remained closed, but most shops were doing business as usual.
According to Dilip Kumar Panda, General Secretary of the Kosala Samaj, 90 tribal girls from Lefripada block in the district were taken to Tamil Nadu for training in a garment factory some time back. However, these girls were being allegedly exploited there and their parents wanted them to return home.
The Kosala community members had staged a sit-in in front of the Sundargarh District Collector’s office for nine days to press their demand for the return of the hapless girls. Although the district administration sent a team to Tamil Nadu to facilitate the return of the girls, they were unsuccessful in their mission.
