Siliguri

By Mariya Rajan

Host Mariya Rajan's quick visit to three hamlets near lush green tea gardens in Siliguri city and surrounding areas reveal that at least one child has gone "missing" in each of them. Was it just a coincidence, or is something changing in that region - which, being a gateway to the northeast India as well as the neighbouring countries of Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal - had only been seen as a transit route for human trafficking until the COVID-19 pandemic struck, making residents more vulnerable?