Child trafficking

India is considered a hub for human trafficking in Asia. As per the government statistics every eight minutes a child disappears. A sixteen-year-old girl Manju (named changed to preserve identity) was trafficked to Delhi when she was just 12. Her parents were lured by the promise of the agent who assured that she would get a good job there. But instead, she was taken to be sold to a much older man for 50,000 rupees. Later the deal failed since the agent asked for more price. In anger, the agent raped her and then sold some other party for 35,000 rupees. After 11 months when she asked the agent to send her home, he locked her in the office and raped her again.

This is just one of the many deadly stories which will blow your mind if narrated. These children who become the victims of trafficking are ruined for their entire life. There are various causes for trafficking being so pervasive in India.

First of all, poverty and lack of education contribute to the maximum proportion of the cause. Rural parents several neglects the importance of family planning and thus taking care of many children with fewer sources of income and resource starts troubling them. That’s when selling their children for some meagre amount holds more value to them than taking care of them.

Some agents also fool the parents for giving these children a better life in the city and even earn 6-7k rupees monthly for providing the children food and shelter.

If the child is female, the risk is larger. Girls are still seen in society as the object of desire. Castes also play a role. Children belonging to the lower castes especially from the northeastern states are several times seen getting trapped in this pool of mud. Children are caged, sexually exploited, and made to toil forcefully. A rescuer from Delhi narrates how her employer used to beat her daily with broom and stool and burnt her from a hot pan. She was beaten mercilessly on being caught while trying to escape.

The lack of any political will to pass some strong legislation to help such children has left no choice for the public other than to spread awareness in this regard and leave no stone unturned to save such children.

Thank God there are certain NGOs like SaveTheChildren etc. who are trying hard to rescue such children. Still, even if the NGOs succeed, proper counselling is needed to get them out of those disastrous incidents faced by them.

Its high time that we join hands to end children trafficking as a start and human trafficking at large so that no life is subjected to such cruelty.