With children highly vulnerable to trafficking, Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL) – Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, an organisation that works for child protection, wanted the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill to be reintroduced in Parliament.
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On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2020 that is observed on July 30, members of CACL and Childline 1098 formed human chains with placards against child trafficking at Erode Railway Station, Gobichettipalayam, Sathyamangalam, Nambiyur, T.N. Palayam and Perundurai.
R. Karuppasamy, convener, CACL and Director of Rights Education and Development Centre (READ), said that 4,196 children are missing in the State in 2017 and only three perpetrators were convicted for human trafficking cases in the State.
“Of the trafficked persons, 60% are children”, he added. He said that trafficked victims are subjected to forced labour and COVID-19 pandemic had increased the number of child labourers. “The purpose of forming human chain is to create awareness among the people so as to prevent school dropouts, child labour, child marriage and child trafficking”, he added.
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He wanted the Bill to be passed in Parliament, anti-human trafficking units to be established in the State, significant role for labour department in addressing the issues of human trafficking and regular training for police officers in handling cases of human trafficking. “A coordination committee comprising officials from various departments should be formed to handle the issues effectively and monitored at the highest-officer level”, he added.