JHARKHAND : Trafficked from her native home in the tribal districts of Jharkhand, to be later rescued from a brick kiln on the banks of the Hoogly, 21-year-old Birasmuni Dhanwar is now a national-level footballer. Her childhood blackened by bonded labour, Birasmuni, is now providing football coaching to the young students of her school in Ranchi. Birasmuni says she is giving back what she has received from society.
The ASHA (Association for Social and Human Awareness) secretary tells us Birasmuni was brought to Ranchi at the age of 6, after being rescued from a brick kiln in West Bengal. Since then she is living in the ASHA shelter home.
“We had gone to rescue the victims of trafficking from the tribal areas of Jharkhand like Khunti, Simdega, Gumla and Lohardaga, who were working in brick kilns near Hoogli river in Bengal. While visiting the place, we came across several children playing with bricks. When we inquired, we were told these children were also trafficked from Jharkhand along with their parents to West Bengal and were left at the mercy of the elements without any care and basic amenities, without food, no education, and no sanitation.” said ASHA secretary Ajay Jaiswal. Carrying fresh bricks from one place to another was a game for them; they were working as child labours in these kilns, he says.
These rescued children were brought to Jharkhand in 2011 and were lodged at the three ASHA centers at Saraikela, Khunti and Ranchi. “Birasmuni was one among the 200 children who were brought here and admitted in different schools in Jharkhand.” Jaiswal said. “Birasmuni, who originally belongs to Karra Block of Khunti, was admitted to a school in Gadkhatanga in Ranchi. While studying in school, Birasmuni developed interest in football and gradually became very good at it,” said Jaiswal. Birasmuni arrived to Jharkhand when she was 5 years of age. Now, she is pursuing graduation in arts in Ranchi.
“Birasmuni does not only play football; she is providing football coaching to nearly 30 girls of her school where she studied earlier, residing along with her at the ASHA hostel,” said Jaiswal. She has also played several national-level tournaments and has represented her state, Jaiswal beamed with pride.
Birasmuni tells us, at 5 in the morning, she joins her pupils at the ground where they exercise and warm-up training until 7 am. The same routine is observed at 4 pm in the evening, till at 5:30 pm.
“I am coaching nearly 50 students of all age groups. I have been doing it for the last 2-3 years besides studying in JN College in Ranchi,” said Birasmuni. She wants to make a career in football besides pursuing her studies, she tells.
“By providing coaching to these children I am trying to give back to society what I received,” Birasmuni said. She does not want others to face the hardships she has faced while honing her skills as a footballer and hence providing guidance to other girls so that they may be able to chase their dreams, she added.
Birasmuni’s students, who also belong to the very humble families and are studying with her in the hostel, are happy to get her as their coach. “I am from the same school where Birasmuni Didi used to study and she has been caching me for the last three years. Liike Birasmuni Didi, I also want to become a football player in future after I grow older in my life,” said a class 6 student, Annu Kacchap. Birasmuni Didi is a brilliant coach who sometimes even becomes very strict when they do mistakes, she added.
Similarly, Savita Kumari, a class 9 student, inspired by Birasmuni wants to become a sports teacher when she grows up so she can train students in sports besides their studies.
“As we have to go to school we do only warm ups in the morning, but in the evening we are trained by Birasmuni Didi in the evening for at least two hours, said Savita.
Principal of Government Upgraded Middle School at Gadkhatanga, Bhudeo Chandra Mahto, also lauded Birasmuni for her passion for football. “Birasmuni was admitted to here after being rescued from a brick kiln; she passed out from here four years ago. Whenever she is in Ranchi, she provides football coaching to the students of my school who are also staying along with her in the ASHA Hostel,” said the principal. She was very good in football since her childhood, he recalls.
According to state government data, out of the 656 cases registered with different police stations in Jharkhand between January 2017 and December 2022, 1,574 people have been victims of trafficking.
Uprooted Generation
People, entire families and children, from the tribal areas of Jharkhand like Khunti, Simdega, Gumla and Lohardaga, are trafficked to labour camps across India where they are left at the mercy of the elements without any care and basic amenities, without food, no education, and no sanitation. Carrying the burden of bricks in their little palms, the children in these labour camps do not know what child labour is.