India’s population is now growing exponentially. Kerala, which had a higher rate of female feticide, is implementing significant new measures to balance the gender ratio. Since ancient times, the Bedia community in Madhya Pradesh has longed for a female child whenever a lady becomes pregnant.
Traditional practise
It was neither a storm of change, a forecast of the present, nor a feminist defence. The only justification is the long tradition of forcing young girls into prostitution. Most people might opt for a well-paying career if they had to choose between marriage and prostitution. Veerendra Mishra, the saviour of kids of the Bedia community, changed this situation.
Veerendra Mishra IPS, a member of the State Police Service’s 1995 batch, was elevated to IPS in 2011. He is currently employed as the MP State Industrial Security Force’s Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in Bhopal. He has previously worked at the Madhya Pradesh Police as an Assistant Inspector General (CID). He focuses on social policy, human trafficking, transgender issues, and youth development.
The Saviour
Mishra was appointed as the CSP for Habibganj in 2002. At that time, he established ‘Samvedna’, an NGO to train youngsters in computer skills and give education in slum regions. Five years later, while serving as a Sub-Divisional Officer, he came across the Bedia community, which trafficked girls into prostitution. According to him, It is the responsibility of every citizen to give these children a good education and lead a life without discrimination.
Samvedna
In 2005, he employed Samvedna to fight caste-based commercial sexual exploitation and human sex trafficking in the state. He started his venture with 13 children. He has worked in Sagar, Vidisha, Raisan, Guna, and Rajgarh.
The Mission Behind His Vision
The motive behind his venture is to create opportunities. Creating opportunities fosters optimism, which inspires people to go beyond their comfort zones.
These kids were brought together under the Samvedna team and registered at a school outside their village and neighbourhood. They attended government schools in Bhopal, where they did not need to assume another identity or hide it. Samvedna assists these children financially in addition to caring for and protecting them. Through their initiative, many children got a new chance to lead a better life.
Awareness Campaigns
Samvedna also raises awareness of health-related issues in the Bedia community. They plan medical clinics and urge women to visit doctors regularly. Their main goal is to give them access to quality education and employment prospects so they can seek revenue streams.
RACE
Veerendra Mishra founded the country’s first anti-trafficking lab called RACE (Research, Advocacy, and Capacity Building Against Exploitation) on October 19, 2022, at the Academy of Administration in Bhopal.
External Advisor
Mishra offers assistance to the National Commission for Women as an external advisor. He has previously worked in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Social Justice.
Changing Image of Police: An Empirical Study
Dr Mishra earned his PhD in 2004 from Barkatullah University in Bhopal on the topic “Changing Image of Police: An Empirical Study”.
Improving Skills
They run digital literacy centres in three villages to help youngsters’ communication abilities. With assistance from sports and police agencies, the organisation also established a kabaddi village in the Rajgarh region.
An Author
Dr Veerendra Mishra has written books such as ‘Human Trafficking: The Stakeholder’s Perspective’ (SAGE, 2013), ‘Community Policing: Misnomer or Fact’ (SAGE, 2011), ‘Transgenders in India: An Introduction, Combating Human Trafficking’ and more. He has also published a short story collection and contributed to the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology’. .
Do I Have a Choice
He co-produced and co-directed the documentary “Do I Have a Choice,” which details the sociological sexual exploitation of the Bedia population.
Honours
In 2012–2013, Veerendra Mishra received the esteemed Hubert Humphrey Fellowship for his research on human trafficking. He has researched the roles played by both national and municipal police agencies, including the United Nations Police (UNPOL). Mishra participated in three UN missions: Kosovo, East Timor, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mishra worked for the Asia Foundation as a volunteer consultant in East Timor for five months.
Veerendra Mishra has advocated for disadvantaged groups in society for the past 21 years. Through Samvedna, Mishra is transforming the lives of more than 5000 Bedias in 60 villages across six districts in the state. Many children today are pursuing higher education because of Samvedna, and they are motivating other children in their neighbourhood to join it. The Samvedna team is still working on the project to set up suitable livelihoods for the community. He has authored several books on human trafficking and transgender and has been successful in setting up India’s first anti-trafficking lab. His unwavering belief in his obligations, kindness, and dedication to the welfare of others gives him the ability to bring about change.