Page 26 - English Tehelka Issue 1&2

CoverStory trafficking

and work for them. Extreme poverty led Miru’s ties can reach them. There is a nexus between hotel
parents, Lalchand Hasda and Barki Mandi, to owners and agents, where the agents act as inform-
give away their minor daughter to the family, ers to such hotels.”
but, they haven’t received any money yet. The AASAA and other student unions are working
parents are also reluctant to complain to the relentlessly to chalk out a plan to dig out details of
authorities. all the girls and bring them back home, with the
help of NGOs and other concerned authorities. They
Porous borders are also drawing plans to sensitise parents to curb
the menace.
Here, the bigger question is how the girls manage to It is seen that the Santhal and Adivasi communi-
reach Geluphu by crossing the India-Bhutan border ties in Lower Assam have been severely targeted by
despite tight security being deployed round-the- the traffickers, time and again. The level of ignorance
clock to safeguard the border gates and check upon is high and education level is absolutely zero. At least
any illegal activities. in the case of the Bodo community, trafficking has
On this, Ananta said, “Now, this is a critical ques- come down to some extent. Bodo students union has
tion, how cross-border trafficking could happen in been mobilising Bodo people to educate them on the
spite of such tight security at the border gates. It is issue of trafficking through timely interaction with
to be noted that there are labour unions stationed parents and intervention. The same action is, sadly,
at the border gates who record details of every missing in the far-flung border villages situated near
single migrant labour coming to India or Bhutan for the Indo-Bhutan border.
Low conviction
Usually, a trafficker is rate of traffickers

either already known As per reports from Assam, everyday four children

to the victim’s family go missing and among them girls are the top victims photo: tehelka archives
of this nefarious human trafficking trade.
Digambar Narzary, Chairman, NEDAN, high-
or is somebody from lighted that less number of convicts in trafficking children are trafficked each year from Assam. Also, timely funds to organisations working on rehabili-
cases is a problem too. “NEDAN has put 45 traffickers
there is no significant increase in conviction of the
tation of trafficked victims.”
the same village or behind the bars and only four have been convicted. traffickers which has made the trafficking a risk- PoLicy needed on
Such is the case here. This encourages culprits
free business. It is very much required to strengthen
community, but not to move freely sans fear and continue with the Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) task forces in the human trafficking
trafficking.”
police stations through various training and aware-
NEDAN started a national campaign called
an outsider ‘every 8 minutes a child goes missing in India’ ness programmes.” Poverty is not the only factor behind the increas-
Since its inception in 1998, GOLD has facilitated
on missing children to stop child trafficking in approximately 50 rescue operations with police ing number of trafficking cases in lower Assam.
the country. The NGO has been encouraging the and rescued 500 victims. Lack of awareness among adolescences has kept
locals to come out and report such cases without Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), a the human trafficking trade alive in the state. “To-
work on a daily basis. Without their permission, no being named. noted organisation working for trafficking victims, day, young boys and girls aspire to go out, earn
migrant labour can come to India or cross towards For this, NEDAN started an SMS service to especially in the porous pockets of Baksa and Udal- money and experience a better lifestyle, but they
Bhutan to work. keep a track on trafficking cases or those of guri districts of Assam since 2009, said that as per do not know how to earn it. This is the reason why
But the agents are too smart. They use hotel vehi- missing people in Kokrajhar, Chirang and oth - their data, 171 girls have reportedly been trafficked many children and youths are easily lured by
cles that have vehicle registration plates of Bhutan er border and remote forest villages. Anybody from Baksa and Udalguri since 2009. traffickers,” said Dr Sunita Changkakati, Chairper-
while entering India. Usually, hotel vehicles with with a basic mobile phone can inform NEDAN Prerna Changakakati, Director, ACRD, said, son, Assam State Commission for Protection of
Bhutanese registration plates get a go ahead at the about such incidents by calling or sending a message “There is no database to monitor inter-state Child Rights (ASCPCR).
border gates, therefore, they easily enter the poor to 9229224424. migration, as a result, there is no tracking of the However, while trafficking cases persist, sur-
border villages of Assam, pick up the girls and return According to Rajeev Sharma, Director of girls who go missing. prisingly there are no specific policies to curb the
to Bhutan.” Guwahati-based NGO GOLD (Global Organisation for The state needs stringent laws to safeguard menace. When asked about the programmes to
He further said, “Thankfully, the Royal Bhutan Life Development), the number of trafficking victims, bust the nexus and punish the traf - control trafficking situation in Assam, the Chairper-
Police (RBP) is very cooperative. But, it is unfortunate victims is much higher in reality considering actual fickers. Also, better employment opportunity son said, “ASCPCR is planning to formulate a policy
that every time Bhutan Police raids the hotels on reported and unreported cases from every nook and should be created to prevent re-trafficking of to combat trafficking.”
tip-off from their sources, the hotel owners transfer corner of Assam. rescued children and women from Assam. The
the girls to undisclosed locations before the authori- “In reality, approximately, 10,000 women and government should also release sufficient and letters@tehelka.com

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