Muzaffarpur (Bihar): Born and brought up in a red-light area, Naseema Khatun grabbed life's good opportunities, became an activist and went on to become a member on the latest advisory committee formed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Now, she is determined to seek solutions for the problems of all deprived and marginalised sections in society by using her new position on the national level panel.
She got the new honour for all the good works she has been doing by running awareness programmes on the rights of marginalised workers, legal awareness and educational programmes. It goes without saying that Naseema's is a tale about a lifetime opportunity that can be used to break the iron curtain and prove to the world what transformation anybody an bring.
With a new confidence, Naseema tells residents of red light area, "The commission has formed a committee at the country level for people working in different fields in which I have also been given a place. Now your voice will rise strongly in one of the biggest forums of the country. It is everyone's responsibility to raise our issues. With your collective cooperation, I am sure we will be successful" she said.
Naseema originally hails from Chaturbhuj Sthan of Muzaffarpur. It was her father who was adopted by a sex worker when he was a boy. Eventually, Naseema was born in the red light district and raised by her grandmother. Life was not easy until a chance came to her in 1995 when Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Rajbala Verma began initiatives to transform the lives of sex workers and their families.
Later, Naseema Khatun enrolled in one such programme 'Better Life Option' in which she earned Rs 500 per month for crochet work, which was a good enough amount for them in those days. She then became an activist and started Parcham, an organisation that attempts to inculcate awareness on rights among the local people across several districts in Bihar.
Naseema's organisation recently ran a legal awareness campaign among locals in collaboration with Sandeep Agnihotri, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), under the leadership of the District and Sessions Judge, Muzaffarpur. “I got this recognition and responsibility to fight for the rights of marginalized people at the national level because of the blessings of my elders and my community,” she added.
Naseema also runs an awareness programme of education with the help of the Parcham organisation. Along with this she publishes a handwritten monthly magazine. Besides this, she has also worked for creating better employment opportunities to women in the area in collaboration with District Industries Centre manager Dharmendra Kumar Singh under the chairmanship of Muzaffarpur District Magistrate Pranav Kumar.
