Many living in the national Capital are preferring black beauties over fair-skinned women. Black diamond is the code word that they use for black beauties or tribal girls, who are mostly trafficked from Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
According to a recent data shared by various city-based NGOs, these women are brought or rather trafficked to the national Capital by placement agencies on the pretext of jobs, especially domestic help. But many households do not prefer a tribal maid.
“Most families, who hire a domestic help, demand good-looking or at least an average looking maid. Tribal girls are the least opted by families. Even if someone hires them, they give them lesser pay compared with North Indian maids. So we don't usually supply tribal girls,” said Rohit, a placement agent in South Delhi.
But not getting a job does not imply that these tribal women are sent back to their hometowns.
There are several placement agencies, which operate as 'black diamond brothels' in the garb of supplying maids to households. They push dark-skinned poor girls from tribal areas into sex trade or rather human trafficking.
According to a recent data shared by some city-based NGOs, it has been learnt that there has been about 25 per cent rise in the trafficking of tribal girls in the national Capital. Besides, a study conducted by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), an NGO, suggests that there are several unisex parlours and salons in South-east and North-west Delhi that have employed trafficked tribal women/ girls. Placement agencies, who promise these girls jobs as maid within two days of their arrival in Delhi, send them to parlours for grooming. Also, they are given dance classes so that they can master the basics of western and belly dancing style.
“In the last couple of months, we have rescued as many as 70 girls, of which 37 were tribals and they belong to Jharkhand, Odhisa, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. Of these 37, 25 were minor,” said a social activist working for BBA.
When Millennium Post tried to unearth the black diamond racket, it was found that many men want dark-skinned or tribal women for sexual pleasures.
Another agent, requesting anonymity, said: “There is a demand for tribal girls for prostitution. These days customers are willing to avail the services of tribal girls as they are available at lower prices.”
Areas such as Laxmi Nagar, Shakarpur, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, Subhash Palace, Govindpuri and Chirag Delhi are hubs where the demand and supply of 'black diamond' is comparatively higher. “We have informed police stations in Delhi and those in states from where the girls are trafficked. A tight vigil is being maintained on routes that are followed by pimps and placement agencies,” said Rakesh Senger, from BBA.