Page 16 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018

CoverStory

Globally, human trafficking is
the third most profitable crime
after drugs and arms trade

Nobel laureate kailash Satyarthi, said the Bill is “sur- child victims of trafficking, it leaves to the choice of
vivor-centric”. “The passage of the Anti-Trafficking an adult sex worker to accept or decline the option of
Bill by Lok Sabha is an indicator of the strong politi- rehabilitative services.”
cal will of India’s law-makers to rise above party lines It is noteworthy to mention that Satyarthi had
in support of tens of thousands of most marginalised been part of the drafting committee of the Bill.
and vulnerable children, women, men and transgen-
der who are pushed into slavery and subjected to un- flawed Bill?
abated violence. This survivor-centric Bill goes much One important observation TeheLkA would like to
beyond just criminalisation of trafficking.” make is that the Bill doesn’t address the issue of ille-
On asked about the vehement protests by various gal organ and skin trading, which is a form of human
collectives of sex workers, transgenders and lawyers trafficking. There are thousands of victims who com-
who have said that the Bill undermines the interests plain of being duped after being lured to migrate and
of the consensual sex workers, transgenders, and mi- sell their organs for hefty money (often deceitfully).
grants, Satyarthi, refuting the arguments of the crit- Taking the example of Rama Pathi (name changed)
ics of the Bill said: “The Bill does not undermine the from Namakkal district Tamil Nadu, spoke about how
interests of those whom you have mentioned in your he was duped after being promised 7 lakh rupees in
question. While the Bill does protect and rehabilitate return for his kidney. he was paid only 2 lakhs ru-

tehelka / 15 august 2018 16 www.tehelka.com