CHAPTER IV

REVIEW OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA PRODUCTION ON TRAFFICKING IN NEPAL

Anju Chhetri/Manju Thapa

4.1 Introduction

The electronic media has produced many audio-visual materials to draw the attention of individuals and institutions on the a purpose of trafficking in women and girls in Nepal. The efforts has been made to communicate how the poor and uneducated girls and women become victims of different kinds of violence and are trafficked from Nepali villages to Indian sex market by the criminals.

This chapter of the report deals with the programmes broadcasted on Nepal Television and Radio Nepal as well as feature films focused on trafficking in women and girls. No specific framework or methodology is used to review both audio and audio-visual materials, however, the subject matter, quality and reliability of information, investigation on the issues, and projection and presentation of the subject matter is discussed in this chapter. The electronic media materials reviewed here are categorized as follows:

A. Audio-visual Materials

The review included 22 programmes of NTV. Out of the total 22 programmes, 11 were produced by Nepal Police and episodes of them were on a weekly Police Programme of NTV. The other 4 talk programmes and 2 telefilms are the productions of NTV itself were as rest are the production of various NGOs and INGOs.

B. Feature Film

Nepali film industry has produced 3 movies namely Chelibeti, Praticksha, and Cheli based on the topic of trafficking in women and girls so far. Other two movies Anyaya and Dkadeshma have also considered this issue as sub-plots of the stories.

C. Audio Programmes

Radio Nepal has been continuously broadcasting the programme called Chelibeti ('Sisters and Daughters') since 1991, to attract the attention of audience and to raise mass consciousness on issue of trafficking in women and girls. Initially, the programme was aired fortnightly in the name of Cheliko Byatha ('Pangs of Daughters') but later it was changed into a weekly programme named Chelibeti.

Initially, the programme aimed to analyze overall aspects of the problem of trafficking. It was also successful to fulfill this purpose. But after a few months, audiences complained the programme producer that they were not ready to listen to the same issue of trafficking for all the times. They demanded variety in presentation of women related topics. Therefore, the subject matter of this programme was slightly twisted and broadened. The other women related topics except trafficking were also included in this programme.

Similarly, Prahari Karyakram ('Police Programme') aired on Radio Nepal has also given great importance to the issue of trafficking. Many episodes and news regarding the issue have been namely Mahila Karyakram ('Women's Programme') also has sometimes aired the materials on the issue of trafficking. Unfortunately, Nepal Police and Radio Nepal could not provide the details of these programmes. Therefore, this chapter reviews a single programme Chelibeti aired on Radio Nepal.

Total 175 episodes on the issue of trafficking in women and girls were aired in programme Chelibeti in a periods from 1991 to September 1997. Out of the total 175 episodes, only 100 episodes were made avaiable which were listened to with a purpose of reviewing these audio materials. Reliability an updatedness of information and effectiveness of their presentation are the focuses of this study.

The study is completely silent about private FM channels of Radio.

4.2 Nepal Television

4.2.1 Telefilms

Among the television programmes telefilms are considered to be an effective form of entertainment and information. Some telefilms are completed even in a single episodes whereas some others might be more longer including several episodes. There are both single and multiple episodes telefilms that are based on the issue of trafficking. A total of 11 telefilms were selected for the analysis in this section of report that are produced by NTV, Nepal Police and other non-government organizations and individuals.

Script and Information

Most of the telefilms have some similarity and uniformity in the aspects of economically poor family structure, uneducated society and domestic violence against women. Similarly, higher tediousness and difficulty in rural life are the factors easing to allure uneducated and naive village girls. In contrast, the counterpart culprits are shown as fearless and working with a huge network who adopt the methods of alluring, manipulation, fake marriage and high sounding assurances. These telefilms have also mentioned trafficking as a source of earning easy money. The rich and pseudo benevolent persons of the society and even the close relatives and guardians as well as close friends are also shown as the traffickers of the women and girls. Thus the scripts are developed around these similar features. This fact clearly states that all these telefilms have been produced from the inspiration of the real problem of trafficking withthe goals of raising mass consciousness against this inhuman flesh trade.

In all the scripts, victim women are presented to have been severely shocked when they knew that they were sold in brothels for prostitution. Then they request to even traffickers, brothel keepers and clients to make themselves free and allow them to return back to their family. But, their requests are denied and they are forced to accept the bonded sex-slavery. They are kinds of torture are found in all stories, that are: burning by cigarettes, beating and stroking, pulling hair, jolting, pushing etc. If the trafficked women do not still accept the job, even after these ordinary tortures, they are raped by vigilantes and gundas who are nurtured by the brothel keeper. These all telefilms state a clear fact that all trafficked women are taken to brothel by temptation and deception, and none of them is trafficked with coercion. Innocence of village girls as well as educated urban girls are tactfully exploited to traffic them.

Another important aspect depicted in the telefilms is the roots and border of trafficking from villages to brothels in India. Generally, the roots are found very similar in all telefilms. The brokers allure girls in the villages and bring them in different urban areas where the victims are offered to consume various types of modern commodities and to visit interesting places for a few days that tantalizes them to acquire more facilities in future. Thereafter, the girls and women respect and believe more in the conspirators and they never attempt to oppose the orders of these masters. This situation facilitates the brokers to cross the borders with victims and reach at brothels to sell them.

The rescue part is not given due importance and space in these telefilms. Only two telefilms namely Bedana Ra Mukti and Nirdosh Kaidi have incorporated the rescue operation in the plots. Trafficked women are shown returned back to their family and country only after getting infected by HIV virus or developed AIDS. The attitude of the society or common people workers are very sympathetic, co-operative and positive towards these victims. criminals are presented committing crimes with networks in organized groups. Most of the victims in the telfilms introduce themselves as inhabitants of Sindupalchowk, Nuwakot and Dhading which are generally explained as prone areas of trafficking in reality too.

The another telefilm Raata ('The Night'), a UNDP production, should be highly evaluated for its presentation and projection of the issue. Though its main theme is AIDS, it has shown the trafficking and prostitution as a cause of AIDS. The whole concentration of the script is moving around AIDS, still a short scene has sketched out how Nepali women and girls are trafficked to India and forcibly kept into brothels through fake marriage; and how the trafficked victim can contract HIV/AIDS; and how does it spread over the society. The presentation is very successful to catch the sentimentality of audiences. Perhaps it is attributed to the acting and direction of two comedian superstars of Nepali screen Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya.

Similarly, telefilms produced by Nepal Police, namely Thul Dhungaki Chameli ('Chemeli of Thul Dhunga'), Katha Bara ('Pity'), Cheliko Aawaj ('Voice of Daughters') and Pahad Sakie Pachhi ('Beyond the Hills') are ordinary in presentation and projection of the issue of trafficking.

Nirdosha Kaidi ('Innocent Prisoner') is a film-telcast produced by Nepal Television per sec. The main theme of this serial is also trafficking. The other serials have presented rural areas as the origins of trafficking, but in contrast to others this serial has presented the urban social surrounding as also a place of origin of trafficking. It has given a different dimension of trafficking. Similarly, a 32 episode teleserial Jeewan Yatra, produced by NTV has also raised the issue of trafficking in its 3 different episodes. Another serial Devi-a UNICEF production, has also included the issue of trafficking and AIDS. Presentation of the issue of trafficking is appreciable in this serial. AIDS victims (trafficked women) being accepted by the family and society is another positive aspect towards rehabilitation of this serial.

There are three other NGO produced telefilms, Habigat by ABC Nepal, Under the Tin Roof by Center for Women and Development (CWD) and Bedana Ra Mukti by WOREC. TWo telefilms Habigat and Under the Tin Roof has been already tele-casted twice on Nepal Television.

The presentation aspect in Under the Tin Roof and Habigat looks very weak and poor. Some of the scenes are very ridiculous and the characters are also found with a low quality performance. These films are not able to inform effectively the audience on the issue of trafficking.

The WOREC produced 2 hours long telefilm titled as Bedana Ra Mukti is introduced as a documentary. However, the story plot has made it a telefilm that is district from a documentary. It has tired to narrate many ways and possibilities of trafficking. The state of legal enforcement has also been attacked as it has failed to punish offenders. Political leaders are also illustrated as giving protection to the criminals as well as crime. In general, the projection of the issue of trafficking in women and girls is too dramatic and less realistic.

4.2.2 Documentary

Seven different documentary produced by Nepal Police are considered for the review in this sub section. These documentaries are: Beshybriti ('Prostitution'), Nuwakot ('Nuwakot': A District), Chetanako Diyo ('Torch of Awareness'), Aashu Yarshako ('Tears of Yarsha'), Jhapa Cheli ('Daughter of Jhapa') and Sindhupalchok ('Sindhupalchok': A District). These are the film-telecasts by Nepal Television in the programme of Nepal Police.

A documentary Byatha Cheliko ('Pangs of Daughters') was rejected to tele-cast on television by the NTV Censor Board, because of the illustration of involvement of Tibetan Merchants in trafficking as initiators of the activity. In fact, the information incorporated in the documentary are consistent, interesting and reasonable to make audience rethink over some established concept of trafficking in Nepal. Unfortunately, the audience are deprived of watching this documentary.

In conclusion, all the documentaries produced by Nepal Police are informative and well illustrated. Local people of the vulnerable areas are depicted participating actively in the awareness campaigns. They present a portrayal that each and every person and institutionof the society is ready to raise the voice and fight against this inhuman crime. The only lacking of these documentaries is that they have less focused on the criminals that it was expected.

Selling of Innocents, a documentary produced by BBC, is mainly focused on sex market in Kamathipura of Mumbai. It has depicted the trafficking in women from Nepal with a major reason of poverty. It has stated that around one hundred thousand Nepali girls are providing their services to Indian sex market. Many unskilled and vulnerable village girls arrive at the carpet factories in Kathmandu in search of employment. Unfortunately, the carpet factories are used as entry points of their trafficking to Mumbai. According to this documentary, everyday, at least a girl is raped or kidnapped in Nepal. Nepali NGOs are working for rehabilitation of women and child victims of violence. These are the major information provided by the documentary in the context of Nepal.

Vague title, unauthentic information without reference, exposition of only Nepali girls in Mumbai and lack of recommendation for effective policy options are the limitations of this documentary.

4.2.3 Talk programmes

Talk programmes inform audience on various aspects political, social, economic and other issues. The participating intellectuals, social workers, bureaucrats, officials, different professionals and general public opine their views on these issues and problem of society in talk programmes. Therefore, talk programm is recognized as an important form of tele-casts.

Among the four episodes of talk programmes, 3 are from Jagriti and one is from Ek apas. One episode of Jagriti and one episode of Ek apas were on the returnees from Mubai brothels. In both programmes, representatives of His Majesty's Government and of different NGOs had clearly manifested extremely opposite opinion and aproaches to deal with the issue of trafficking. Their expresseions and views were contrasting to each other. The government authorities were confession the lack of coherent and clear-cut policy to tackle the problem even to rehabilitate the returnees. On the contrary, social workers from different NGOs were advocating for the government undertaken immediate and effective steps.

The programme anchors were not capable to explore the problems and solutions with their witty and tactfully conduction of conversations. Almost all talk programmes ended at an undecided state of policy and implementation.

Two episodes of Jagriti were based on the issue of trafficking presented in ordinary aspects of causes and consequences. They were less effective and only problem oriented.

Weak structure of programme as well as loose hold of the anchors over information related to the issue of trafficking are the limitations of these programmes. In general, talk programmes were less impressive with inadequate information.

4.3 Feature Films

The films Chelibeti, Pratickchha and Cheli have developed main plot on the issue of trafficking whereas the movie Aanyaya has dealt with the issue of trafficking in its sub-plot only. Ther are both similarities and differences in the scripts of all three movies. The major point of similarity is that all the movies have presented fake marriage as a method to trap women who are trafficked later in Indian sex market. The distinction among them is in the number of cases. The movie Chelibeti has aimed to disclose the direct contact of so-called gentleman (landlord type person) in the villages to the brothel owners of Indian sex market for the promotion of trafficking in women. These dominant persons of the village pretend to show their sympathy towards poor and vulnerable girls who respect them and who ar easily enticed and inadvertenly trafficked by them. The vulnerable girls areenticed in varius forms, eg., fake marriage, hope for better employment. Apart from this, they are also coerced and kidnapped. Another lesson spread by this cinema is not only poor, uneducated and village girls but educated and urban girls from rich family might also be enticed and trafficked for prostitution. Though many approaches and forms of trafficking in women and girls have been intermingled in the movie, some parts of the presentation look very unnatural and dramatic. For the sake of commercial success of the movie some extra superficial and fictitious scenes are included in the cinema.

The presentation is normal from the artistic point of view. The film is less impressive, but it has concentrated the theme on the issue of trafficking in general. Very few scenes are able to draw viewers' attention. In conclusion, its effort should be evaluated as a positive step to prevent the problem.

Another feature film Pratiksha is mainly concentrated on a single case of trafficking where a girl is taken to Indian brothel by her fake husband but she succeeds to return back from there to her own family. She cannot expose the reality of her trafficking in front of family and other villagers because she fears that others may dislike and humiliate her. The fake husband also knows the dilemma and mentality of victim and again dares to come back to take her with him. He creates a story that his wife and his mother had some understanding problems and she returned to her maternal home. The scenes are far from the facts, and unbelievably fictious making the movie longer. Overall, the movie is interesting, entertaining and attractive for general viewers.

The efforts of these movies are appreciable that they have raised the issue of trafficing in women in feature films and informed a large number of viewers about the issue. Problems have been identified in the movies, however, the solutions are required efforts to prevent trafficking are not impressibely dealt. These movies heavily lack the notion of essence of prevention of trafficking in Nepal.

4.4 Audio Programmes

Chelibeti Karyakrama ('Programme for Daughters and Sisters'):

• Namaste ! (Greeting!) from the fortnightly Programme- Cheliko Byatha ('Pangs of Daughters').

• "This programme is broadcasted on second and fourth Monday of everymonth at 8.30 a.m. for fifteen minutes. Perhaps the audience know the main purpose of this programme that every year innocent, helpless, guardianless, vulnerable and poor Nepali daughters are enticed and allured for getting good jobs and they trafficked as cattle to different brothels of India for other's profit."

• "This programme would like to request to all our brothers and sister to be alert tactful brokers who have habit of trafficking women again and again."

• "Our innocent village daughters are naive and believe in the false assurances of the offenders. Moreover, they also tell lies with police according to the persuasion of these pseudo guardians or brokers. The devastating result would be that these daughters are easily crossed the border and approached to various brothels of India for the profit of these pimps."

These quoted statements clearly describe the characteristics and efforts of the programme Chelibeti to enhance mass awareness. Various types of materials such as song, drama, interview of trafficked women and girls, lawyers, social workers, offenders etc. have been used to provide information.

Finally, the contribution of this programme for the prevention of trafficking in women through media is highly appreciable because of its good quality in investigation and presentation of the issue.

In some of the episodes the programme conductor was found using statistics as 5000 to 7000 girls and women are trafficked to India every year, out of which five hundred five (505) were the minors of below 18 years of age. Also the estimated figure of total trafficked was presented to be 100,000 out of which 20 per cent were reported to be trafficked by deception, among which 105 were reported to be trafficked by their relatives.

These are very funny, baseless an unrealistic statistics. A radio-broadcast by national media should use authentic data sources. Even the programme anchors did not dare to quote the sources of information. Such a broadcast may mislead the total phenomena regarding trafficking.

4.5 Conclusion

Poor, uneducated, innocent and especially village girls and women from Nepal, are being trafficked in lagre numbers to be used as sex slaves and sex workers in Indian sex market. The electronic media is one of the powerful instruments to sensitize the issue and to disseminate the awareness materials. However, the audio-visual media have produced quite a few materials and among them only a few are found to have been effective in their presentation and grasp of the issues. This mode of the use of electronic media is found to be traditional and ineffective without being much strategic to attract the target audience. Therefore, to raise the mass consciousness against this inhuman flesh trade the use of electronic media is to be reorganized and new strategy is to be formulated.

There are various limitations and lack of strong and favorable infrastructure to produce qualitative audio-visual materials. Therefore, these programmes should not be reviewed much critically. Despite their limitations the objectives of some of the produced programmes are clear and successful to inspire the auience to fight against the crime.

Since radio is the only means of information and entertainment in rural Nepal, the efficacy of audio programme would be higher. Chilibeti on Radio Nepal seems to be useful than others. Nepal is a country with lower literacy rate and higher poverty. In such a situation radio is proved as most effective means of communication that is accessible to most of the population. Similarly, documentaries provide the real illustration of issues. Conceptually, the documentary should be based on investigation and facts. Therefore, it can also inspire the viewers to raise voice against the crime. However, Nepali documentaries are not able to maintain the requirements and standard of the documentaries, so far, are appreciable with a hope of future advancement in this technology.

Similarly, some of the selected telefilms are also successful to narrate the causes of trafficking, forms of torture to trafficked women and the consequences. Only a few of the telefilms are exceptionally appreciable in the form of script, presentation and dealing of the issues. But, a majority of the films are poor in quality and presentation of the issues. In general, the telefilms are proven as insufficient to raise mass awareness against the crime of trafficking in women.

The talk programmes also lack effectiveness with respect to the adequacy of the dealing of issues, reccommending the policy options and empowering the audience with the consequences of trafficking. The anchors need to be more knowledgeable in depth the issues and their ability should be enhanced. The programme may contribute to fill in the gap and disseminate the ideas to general public and concerned authorities regarding the issue of trafficking in women and girls.

4.6 Recommendations

1. Programme like Chelibeti should be broadcasted daily on radio. New and effective experiments should be adopted to make the programme more information and interesting.

2. Informative documentaries and news analysis programmes on the issue of trafficking should be tele-casted on television.

3. Talk programmes should be on air by radio and TV to monitor the current activities.

Table 4.1

List of the Audio-visual Programs Reviewed in the Study.

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