Girl fights Maoist pressure to make career in hospitality

RANCHI: When Sushma Toppo was just 8, she was trafficked to West Bengal to work in a brick kiln so that she could purchase medicine for her sick mother who worked as a domestic help. But she faced humiliation there and returned to her Maoistaffected village in Bundu area of Ranchi to resume studies.

When everything seemed fine, her parents fixed her marriage with a Maoist when she was only 16.

“Even though I refused, the Maoist tried to pressure me on the issue. Desperate over the situation, I drank poisonous substance,” she said.

Sushma was rushed to a local hospital where she took several days to recover. During her treatment, Maoists came to the hospital and warned the family not to inform anything about them to police during inquiry.

Sushma, now 19, said the transformation in her life came when she learnt that the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), a nongovernment organisation, was running courses for girls in the Maoist-affected areas. She joined the hospitality course and was then selected for training-cumjob in Gargee Gautam Vihar, a renowned resort run by the Bihar tourism in Rajgir.

Though in probation period, she is getting enough salary to care for her family. “I am looking after expenses of my family including the study of my brother,” she said.

Inspector general (prison) Suman Gupta gave away certificates of the hospitality course to Sushma and other girls trained by the BKS at a function held in Mandar recently.

She appreciated Sushma’s efforts, saying she struggled a lot to attain the success. “God helps those who continue to fight during adverse situation,” she said in the function.

I am looking after expenses of my family including the study of my brother...God helps those who continue to fight during adverse situation SUSHMA TOPPO, 19