From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Dec 4: Ever wondered why large number of young girls and women go missing?
Well, Karnataka State Women’s Commission Chief C Manjula has the answers.

According to a 110-page report submitted by Manjula to Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister R Ashok, who is also in charge of Home and Transport Departments, love affairs, torture by husbands and in-laws, poor academic performance and even poverty are the major reasons for young girls and women going missing from their homes.

The Commission suggested establishing a central monitoring agency to handle cases of missing women and girls.

It said monitoring cells should be set up at all bus and railway stations with the help of police to curb pimps from approaching vulnerable girls at these points.

The report said as many as 14,989 girls and boys were found missing in the State from 2009 till September 2011.

Of these 14,989 missing cases that were registered, as many as 6,950 cases of missing girls and boys were traced while 8,039 cases remained untraced.

The State Women’s Commission Chairperson C Manjula submitted the report titled “Issues and concerns of missing girls in Karnataka – case study of Mysore district (Mysore City)” to Ashok in Bangalore on Monday.

Govt Asked to Set Up Monitoring Cell

She urged the State Government to set up a monitoring cell at all bus-stands and railway stations with the help of police to avoid the movements and picking up vulnerable girls by anti-social elements.

The Commission, which was asked by the government to study the reasons for a large number of girls and women going missing from Mysore, recommended making moral education mandatory for students

It also emphasised the role of Information and Communication Technology to combat the menace of girls and women going missing, kidnapping or immoral trafficking.

As many as 100 cases of missing girls were taken for a comprehensive study in 16 police stations Mysore City.

In Mysore City alone, 1,612 girls and boys were found missing from 2009 till November 2011.

``Most of Girls Are Educated”

The study report prepared by Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, University of Mysore, Mysore, noted that majority of missing girls had studied up to SSLC, PUC and with a fair sprinkling of graduates.

“Educated missing girls often run away from home,” the report said pointing out that ``illiteracy is not a reason but ignorance of consequence is the most common factor.”
The report said few parents of businessmen and government employees harassed their daughters for poor performance in their studies which forced them to take up the extreme step of running away from home.

The study covering girls in the age group of 12 and 30 years, observed that majority of girls were found to be running away from home due to negligence by family, especially in bigger families.

The study noted that 38 per cent of the girls went missing on account of torture by their husbands and in-laws while 36 per cent did due to love affairs.

Other factors for girls running away from homes are: family negligence (4 per cent), media (5 per cent), illness (2 per cent), pressure on academic performance (5 per cent) and other reasons (10 per cent).

Behaviour of Husbands, In-Laws is Another Major Reason

Ms Manjula said majority of women were missing due to torture by their husbands, who treated them badly or due to alcoholism or irresponsible behaviour of husbands.
“Some of them ran away with other man who they feel is good and shows concern to her,” the report said.

Educated girls from good families go missing due to love affairs with boys other communities and parents object to their marriages.

In some cases, girls with poor economic conditions run away to other states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala assuming that they would be better off in those states, the report said.

Girls going missing from schools and colleges were generally found to be victims of infatuations and fall in love.

In majority of cases parents never lodge complaints with the police, the report said.
 “Railway stations, bus-stands and cinema places are good places for anti-social elements to scout vulnerable girls,” the report said suggesting that they would lure these helpless girls into prostitution.