On Women’s Day meet brave girl Manasi, who helped in rescue of 6000 migrant labourers

Bhubaneswar, Mar 8: Manashi Bariha, a brave girl of Matiabhata village under Khaprakhol block in Balangir, who led a crusade against the practice of migrant labour. She boldly rescued around 6000 migrated labours of her soil bonded in Andhra Pradesh endangering her own life.  She has won the ‘Women Achievers of Odisha’ (WAO) at a program organised jointly by the Odia daily The Prameya, news channel News7 and Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN) run by Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, a Deemed to be University here on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. 20-year-old Manashi became an orphan at the age of 10. She struggled to complete her schooling and had to leave the school after class VIII amid penury against her wish. Meanwhile, the family’s daily need impelled her to earn from wages. As a result, Manashi accompanied with her younger sister migrated to neighbouring states in search of wages.  At the time of the pandemic, Manashi used to work at a kiln factory in Andhra Pradesh with almost 355 migrant labourers of Odisha. All of them urged to return back Odisha due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But, the tyrant master bonded them to engage at work without food and wages. She raised her bold voice against cruelty of the inhuman master. As a result she got physical and mental torture. Meanwhile, she came to know the distress of other 5645 labourers near her workplace. Being moved, she captured the distressed scenes of the labourers and alerted it to some social activists of Odisha. Cracking this information, state officials carried out raids and rescued about six thousand labourers from the master’s bond. The courageous episode of Manashi is now an example to be recognised by different forums of elites.