Centre calls national conference to discuss human trafficking

NEW DELHI: India is often dubbed as the hub of human trafficking in Asia, especially those of children and young women for slavery and prostitution. Now for the first time, the government is bringing together all states, enforcement and intelligence agencies, paramilitary forces engaged in border areas in the eastern region, NGOs and other stakeholders to discuss a solution to end the menace.
Over 600 officers from Centre/states and all agencies, including state nodal officers of anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs), will meet for two days in Vigyan Bhawan as part of ‘National Conference on Human Trafficking’ on July 30-31. They will share their ideas on steps taken in their respective regions and what can be done as part of a joint effort in future. Home minister Rajnath Singh will chair the two-day conference, in which proposals for further action are likely to be taken up.
Apart from discussing legislative and administrative measures, home ministry is likely to direct all anti-human trafficking sleuths to work more on the ground and identify organized gangs.
The conference will also deliberate upon sensitizing AHTUs, police forces, specialized units and agencies manning the borders on how to collect intelligence on offenders, maintain a database on them and their hierarchical structure, place of operation, supply chains and allied places of exploitation. Above all, the attempt will be to show participants how to carry out a professional investigation.
According to figures shared with Parliament in March this year, 66,865 cases of kidnapping and abduction (part of human trafficking) have been reported across India in 2014. However, according to estimates, the figure is much lower since many states including West Bengal don’t share their data on human trafficking, despite a large number of women and children trafficked to various cities and countries from there. Experts working in field say that around 2 lakh persons including young girls and children are trafficked every year in India for prostitution, slavery, forced labour and the illegal organ trade.
“The figures collected by NCRB or other agencies of government are ambiguous in nature. If the real number of human trafficking incidents are reported and registered, it could go into lakhs every year,” said a senior officer, who didn’t wish to be named.
Experts say that many cases are not registered by police and are disposed of at the complaint stage or complainant is returned, especially in the states.
The figures of 2013 suggest that around 1,35,000 children – minor boys and girls - went missing across the country, of whom 68,000 could not be traced.