The recent rescue of 32 stranded individuals from Eastern Nagaland by the Delhi Eastern Nagaland Students’ Union (DENSU) has brought into focus a grim pattern of exploitation that often remains hidden.
Misled with false promises of employment in Maharashtra, these individuals were instead taken to Lapthal in Uttarakhand, where they were left in isolation, without work, wages, or basic sustenance, as reported by DENSU.
That this could happen in 2025, without intervention from any government agency, is a glaring indictment of the system’s failure to protect its most vulnerable.
This is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a deeper crisis – the chronic lack of employment opportunities in Nagaland. With little to fall back on, many are forced to trust informal agents who traffic them across states with vague promises and no safeguards. The fact that 32 citizens could be deceived and effectively abandoned raises serious questions: Who facilitated this journey? Which contractors were involved? What loopholes allowed this to go unnoticed by labour departments and law enforcement?
There must be an immediate, government-led investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible.
At the same time, the returnees, most of whom were first-time migrants, now require more than just safe passage home. They need rehabilitation support, including access to healthcare, counselling, and assistance in securing safe employment. The Nagaland government, in partnership with civil society, should develop reintegration programmes for such returnees.
DENSU and those involved in the rescue deserve appreciation for their swift, humane response. But this cannot end with thanks and closure. Let this not end with a press release. Let it begin a reckoning. The government must act to ensure that Nagaland’s youth are no longer easy prey for traffickers. If the state remains passive, exploitation will persist; only better hidden next time.