In the shadowed heart of 2008, Rangu Sauriya stood at a crossroads, her soul torn between duty and love. Her mother, frail and fading, lay on her deathbed, her breaths numbered. Yet, whispers of horror reached Rangu’s ears, “girls, innocent and defenseless, were on the brink of being sold into the abyss of a brothel.” Torn, Rangu hesitated, her heart heavy with the weight of her mother’s waning moments.
But her mother, with a fire in her eyes that defied death, whispered, “Daughter, save those girls.” Those words, a sacred command, ignited Rangu’s spirit. She stormed into the darkness, rescued the girls, and returned only to find her mother had slipped into eternity. That sacrifice, that loss, forged Rangu into a warrior, a beacon of hope for thousands.
Today, on the sixth day of Navratri, we honor Goddess Katyayani, born from the fierce penance of Rishiraj Katyayana, who yearned for a daughter. In a land where sages fast and pray for daughters, where mothers starve themselves to invoke Chhathi Maiya’s blessings, the existence of a hero like Rangu Sauriya should not be necessary. Yet, the bitter truth sears our hearts: India ranks among the world’s darkest corners for the trafficking of girls and women. Rangu’s story doesn’t just inspire, it commands reverence, stirring the soul with awe and resolve.
Born 44 years ago in Mirik, a quiet hill town cradled by Darjeeling’s tea plantations and Sumendu Lake, Rangu grew up among the fragrant leaves, the daughter of B.R. Souria, a humble plantation worker. As a child, she played joyfully, unaware of the sinister shadows stealing her friends. Girls vanished, their laughter silenced, their families left hollow. Rangu’s mother wept for them, her laments planting seeds of rebellion in her daughter’s heart. As Rangu grew, she learned the truth: these girls didn’t vanish they were stolen, swallowed by the monstrous jaws of human trafficking. Newlywed women, too, disappeared from the plantations, leaving behind homes where festivals lost their color and parents forgot how to smile.
Rangu’s father, toiling across plantations, saw the same grief etched into countless faces—parents broken by the theft of their daughters. At Darjeeling Government College, Rangu’s world expanded. A senior spoke of Anuradha Koirala, Nepal’s fearless warrior who rescued thousands of girls from sex traffickers, giving them wings to soar. Anuradha’s words struck Rangu like lightning: most of those girls were trafficked through Bengal, a perilous battleground spanning two nations. In that moment, Rangu’s destiny crystallized. While others her age dreamed of wedding bells, Rangu vowed to paint vibrant hues onto the faded lives of trafficked girls. At 23, she was no ordinary woman, she was a force.
Her first mission burned with urgency. A 13-year-old girl from a tea garden was taken to Delhi, chained in bonded labor by a ruthless businessman. Rangu, with fire in her veins and friends by her side, tracked him down, stormed into the capital, and freed the girl. That victory was her crucible—it reshaped her life. Her mother beamed with pride, her heart swelling for her daughter’s courage.
That same year, Rangu founded the Kanchenjunga Rescue Center in Siliguri, fueled by her parents’ savings and a one-lakh-rupee bank loan that birthed a dairy farm to fund her mission. Parents, desperate and broken, flocked to her, begging her to find their stolen daughters. In 2004, she formalized her organization, giving her fight a legal shield.
In 2005, Rangu journeyed to Pune, chasing two missing Darjeeling girls. She found them in a brothel, their eyes pleading for salvation. But there were more—six others, their voices trembling, “Didi, save us from this hell.” Rangu didn’t hesitate; she freed them all, her courage a blazing torch against the darkness. By 2008, her mission had grown heavier. The call to save those girls from the brothel came as her mother lay dying. Her mother’s words—“Save those girls”—became her mantra, her strength. Rangu succeeded, but the cost was heart-wrenching: her mother was gone.
Over two decades, Rangu has rescued 10,000 girls and women, snatching them from the claws of traffickers and breathing new life into their broken spirits. She has braved midnight forests, faced death threats, and confronted dangerous criminals in courtrooms to secure justice. She chose not to marry, dedicating her life to thousands of daughters instead of one family. Awards have come, but they mean little to her. For Rangu, this is no mere romance it’s a spiritual inferno, a love for humanity that consumes her, drives her, and makes her a legend. Her story isn’t just told it roars, demanding we rise, fight, and honor the daughters she saves.
