Governor’s Award of Excellence conferred on social worker Raju Nepali – GetBengal story

Raju Nepali has been a guardian angel to North Bengal's vulnerable families for more than 19 years. As the creator of Duars Expressmail and a strong opponent of human trafficking, he has dedicated his life to saving lives, raising awareness, and seeking long-term solutions for disadvantaged areas. His steadfast efforts received official recognition on August 19, 2025, when he was awarded the West Bengal Governor's Award of Excellence for his outstanding contributions to social service.

Hailing from the tea garden belt of Dooars, Nepali is dedicated to protecting girls and children from traffickers who exploit poverty and damaged livelihoods. Over the past 19 years, he has helped trace and rescue more than a hundred trafficked victims, often travelling across state borders and even into Nepal to bring them home.

His NGO, Duars Expressmail, works across eight districts of North Bengal—stretching from Darjeeling and Kalimpong to Alipurduar and the Nepal border. Through awareness camps in tea estates, railway tracks, slums, and schools, he educates vulnerable families about the traps of traffickers. His clear warning, often delivered over a microphone, resonates in these communities: “Do not trust anyone. Check everyone’s background, even of a prospective husband.”

In 2015, Nepali pioneered a nationwide WhatsApp network called “Stop If You Can.” The group now connects 252 activists, journalists, lawyers, and police officers, who collaborate to track missing persons and coordinate rescue operations. This digital effort alone has helped trace and rescue over 500 trafficked and missing children across India in the last decade.

His daring rescue stories are numerous. From tracing Rohini, a trafficked mother from Patharjhora Tea Estate, to coordinating operations in Kamshet near Pune, Nepali has risked his own safety to ensure survivors are brought back with dignity.

In a candid conversation, Raju Nepali reflected on his journey as a social worker. When asked if he ever thought, as a child, that he would take on such a mission, he smiled and recalled a simple but powerful memory. “When I was young, my mother used to make two rotis for breakfast. I would eat one and give the other to my friend. I did not realize it then, but the instinct to share, to help others, was already part of me.”

He explained that his vision to dedicate his life to social work took root in 1995. Since then, the path has been anything but easy. “The challenges were many,” he admitted. “Sometimes it was financial, sometimes it was political. But each obstacle only strengthened my determination.”

When GB asked how he felt after receiving the Governor’s Award, Nepali reflected that the honour was not a culmination but a reminder of his responsibility :

“When I won the Governor’s Award at Raj Bhavan, I felt my responsibility had increased even more. This recognition strengthens my resolve to protect the vulnerable and inspire others to join the fight against trafficking.”

While grateful for the recognition, Nepali is deeply aware of the challenges ahead. In the Dooars region, declining tea gardens and the lure of urban lifestyles make girls especially vulnerable to traffickers. Migration and exploitation are still fueled by unemployment, poverty, and a lack of education.

He remains a strong motivator for the youth, emphasizing that 80% of his NGO’s volunteers are young people, driven by the vision of a safer, more just society. As he tells them, “The future may be dangerous with trafficking, drugs, and kidnapping, but together we can fight back with awareness, courage, and compassion.”

Sharing a message for today’s youth, he cautioned that the future brings new dangers. “Human trafficking, drugs, and kidnapping are increasing. The future can be dangerous, but the young generation has tools we never had—artificial intelligence, technology, and information. If they use these wisely and remain aware, they have a bright future ahead of them.”

The Governor’s Award may be a milestone, but for Raju Nepali, it is only a reminder that the journey goes on, through every rescue, every awareness camp, and every life saved.