JAMES VARGHESE, president of the Indian Rescue Mission, a well-known anti human trafficking organization that rescues young girls forced into the sex trade, has been awarded the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for social justice by the Missionaries of Charity, Harmony Foundation and by Government of Maharashtra in Mumbai.
The function, at which the awards were presented, was organized by the Harmony foundation headed by Mahesh Bhat famous Bollywood movie director and Dr. Abraham Mathai, former Vice Chairman of Maharashtra Minority Commission. Seven individuals from various fields were given awards.
One of the famous awardees was Sushmita Sen, former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress. She was given the award for her work in the field of girl child rights.
The Indian Rescue Mission was bestowed its award after being judged as the top NGO in the field of anti-human trafficking. The group, since its inception, has so far rescued 1426 girls from prostitution and rehabilitated them. These girl were forced to live an inhumane existence and many had lost their parents and were in slavery looking for help and the dream of a bright future.
The Indian Rescue Mission has rendered help and support to these young sexual slaves and the organization has been able to change their destiny for eternity by providing safety and justice for them.
Hence James Varghese was selected for this award. The award is named after Mother Teresa, the incredible Catholic nun, known as the “Saint of the Gutters, and revered for her tireless dedication to the world’s most wretched. She died on Friday, September 5, 1997, surrounded by grieving sisters of her order. She was 87 and she left this earth having done many “beautiful things” for God.
After receiving the award, James Varghese, told the media, “I’m honored by this award as it comes from Mother Teresa. I’m honored to receive the award on her name. This award will give us more encouragement to do further good to the people and societies, especially in bringing rescue for many girls who are still enslaved and forced into the sex trade”.
He added, “First and foremost I thank my God for this award.” He told said that the award was dedicated to “all of the rescued sisters”.
His first step to the field of anti-human trafficking began some 13 ago when he visited a brothel in the red light area of the Indian city of Pune for an exclusive news interview with a girl sold, trafficked, and forced into prostitution. It was then that Varghese realized that he had do something to help rescue these tragic minor girls trapped in these brothels.
In an interview with a minor girl, she broke down, cried bitterly before him, and said: “If my mother was still alive, I would have not been sold.” Hearing these few words, he was shocked and broken, and tears flowed freely.
The girl had pleaded with him to free her from the terrible life at the brothel and James promised her that he would rescue her in a few days. As promised, he returned a few days later with a team of police and rescued her. He was overwhelmed with joy as he saw her, and was especially touched when she turned to him and said, “Brother, Thank you for helping me out.”
Deeply disturbed and very moved by this incident, James was reminded of his calling in life through Proverbs 24:11: “Rescue those being led away to death, Hold back those suffering towards slaughter, If you say ‘But we know nothing about this,’ Does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?”
So in 2009, Varghese founded a new organization that he called The Indian Rescue Mission, with the motto “to set lives free.”
As a youngster, Varghese wanted to enjoy his life as others did. Born into an orthodox Christian family, he wanted to break away from all the shackles that he felt restrained him.
Because his father was a church pastor, he was brought up in a Christian environment. He wanted to come out from under the limits set upon him as the son of a Christian minister. However, he strongly believes in the plan of God, the Almighty, especially towards destitute people and this later become part of his vital ministry. The more he found out about the girls in the red light areas, the more be began to empathize with them. He also began to help boys in bonded labor and he saw that his mission in life was to “wipe away their tears”.
God showed him the vision that he was to work with the castaways of Indian society and he shared it with his colleagues and they began praying for this to take place, which he soon did, and he and his team began their daring and often dangerous rescues all in the name of “God’s Love”.
Varghese said his team was once attacked and severely beaten up by “the local goons of Pune’s red light district,” when the team had gone into the area for a rescue. One of their team members sustained severe bone fractures during the attack. But the work still goes on.
The Indian Rescue Mission has a total of 14 staff working as full time investigators, operatives, advocates and social workers. One of their most famous rescue was a dance bar raid in which they (and the accompanying police) arrested 45 perpetrators and rescued 89 girls. They also seized cash worth $135,000.00 (USD) and 1 kilo of gold. This news was highlighted in all the India’s leading national news channels and newspapers across the nation. This raid was even recommended to the Prime Minister’s office for the national award.
To find more details about their work, please visit them at www.indianrescuemission.org
