When nations solemnly observe the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on Sunday, Tamil Nadu, a key source and destination for forced labour and trafficking, will stridently renew its demand that the Centre pass the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016, without any delay.
Anti-trafficking experts and experts point out that while trafficking for sex work has been going on for many years now, more recent forms include forced migration for labour and kidnapping of children from the North East through Chennai.
Andrew Sesuraj, State convener, Tamil Nadu Child Rights Observatory, explained that the Justice Sikri Committee, mandated by the Supreme Court to study the effectiveness of law and policy in India to address human trafficking, observed several deficiencies and recommended legal reform. That is when the Ministry of Women and Child Development decided to draw up a comprehensive legislation to address all forms of trafficking, including investigation and prosecution, and rehabilitation of victims.
On Saturday, an interim working group, formed with many NGOs working in the areas of prevention of bonded labour, child labour, the camp coolie system and trafficking, came together in Chennai to urge the speedy passage of the law and its implementation. “Trafficked victims from Bangladesh, Odisha, Manipur and Assam are brought to the State while young women and children from Tamil Nadu are trafficked to the red light areas of Mumbai and Delhi,” professor Sesuraj said.
“We are hopeful this law will come into force at least by the end of the year,” added Devaneyan, director, Thozhamai. It will have to be comprehensive and all encompassing, as definitions of trafficking themselves are changing and evolving. For instance, he explained, a child might be registered as ‘missing’ but in a matter of half hour, can be trafficked across the border for sex work or labour.
States on their own also find it difficult to handle the trafficking problem, because there are clear jurisdictional issues.
Local police personnel are unable to proceed beyond a particular point, because there might be trafficking to other States and to countries even, explained professor Sesuraj.
The highlight of the new law is that it envisages the creation of a pan Indian authority that will be assigned only to combating trafficking.
