Women's Corner

Film - "Highway to Hell "

Review of "Highway To Hell"

Highway to Hell" is a film that deals with the trafficking of young Nepalese girls either across the border from Nepal to India or from small Nepalese villages to large Nepalese as well as Indian towns. It also depicts the ease with which Nepalese girls are brought over to Mumbai for prostitution and their plight once they are within the environs of Red Light Areas especially Kamathipura in Mumbai. NGOs or social service agencies working there are given a brief mention with more emphasis being paid to the trafficking process.

The opening scene of the film focuses on the physical beauty that is Nepal: undulating peaks, glorious sky-scapes and friendly people. There are scenes of tourists teeming the market place, of sun drenched valleys and spectacular natural bounty. In Nepal, the tourism industry is booming and with that the demand for local goods as well. Which may bode well for the Local Economy but casts a gloomy spell on the rights of children in this part of the world. Girls are brought from smaller cities in Nepal to larger ones to work in Carpet factories, usually lured by a chance of living a better life. But these young girls can still count themselves amongst the fortunate ones. The Real Business is in prostitution.

"Highway to Hell" captures well the process of trafficking of young Nepalese girls, innocent and often unaware, as they are "accompanied" by "Male Relatives" across the border from Nepal into India. Although the modus operandi may differ, the end result is invariably the same: the girls are traded for paltry sums of money.

What has been depicted remarkably in the film is the manner in which pimps pose in order to gain access to the girls. Pimps posing as grooms searching for prospective brides, target girls from Nepalese villages. Sometimes, the circus is used as a pretext for smuggling girls into India. The girls work for a few years and ultimately are sold off to brothels.

The Indo-Nepalese border is alarmingly porous. There are 6 entry points between the two countries. Easy entry and exit with minimum fuss, does not only ensure that these girls get through to the neighboring country, but also ensures that the people that smuggle them get away scot-free. There are however, NGO's at the border who remain ever vigilant, keeping a watchful eye on any group or couple that may seem suspicious or out of place. One very memorable scene in the film is the inquisition of a young girl and her male companion. The male companions invariably state that the women or girl that they are accompanying are their cousins or their nieces.

The psychology of the girls is generally the same. They come from backgrounds where they don't have much exposure and are generally not educated. Their parents believe that they will have a better life out of the village and they have are not aware of what is actually going on. All this only helps these traffickers.

Mumbai is the hub of the brothel business. In the Kamathipura district, it is estimated that out of every 100 prostitutes, 26 are Nepalese. These girls are ill treated, abused and emotionally and physically scarred. At this point, the film focuses on the work of a young officer, working for a Nepal based NGO. His work entails taking high risks, involving going to brothels, posing as a client, rescuing the girls and sending them to remand homes and are then returned back to Nepal. To date, he has repaired 115 lives. But the work is not over: it is also projected that out of every 10 girls rescued, 6 have fallen prey to Tuberculosis or AIDS.

But all hope is not lost yet. A group of committed and dedicated workers in the Nagaparaltu district of Nepal are involving locals in an awareness raising and skill development program that would teach them those skills that would make them a less vulnerable target in the eyes of the trafficker. "Highway to Hell" ends on a despairing note. The latter part of the film shows a 26 year-old woman dying of AIDS. The camera pans away leaving the memory of a face etched with lines and a body sagging under emotional and physical scars and leaving the viewer of a glimpse into her private hell.

This film was an eye opener. Not only did it give with uncanny insight a glimpse of what young Nepalese girls underwent, but it also gave with precise detail of how the system of trafficking works. The statistics were relevant, the film well picturised and the content kept one riveted throughout. "Highway to Hell" was difficult to watch at times, as scenes of brutality and marred spirits dominated the screen. But, if it's difficult to only watch, it must be a "Life in Hell" for those who live it. every minute of every day.