With reports coming out about children as young as 8-10 years being victims of trafficking, several activists and artists in the city have now decided to bring the issue “out into the open and make a statement against it”.
Jan Sahas Foundation, an organisation working to promote and protect the rights of socially excluded communities, is partnering with New Delhi-based artist collaboration, Delhi Street Art, to launch a range of paintings and murals along the outer wall of the B.R Ambedkar Memorial facing Janpath.
Change in mindset
A release issued by the Foundation noted that the objective of this street-art initiative is to involve the public in a wider discourse to draw attention to the “thriving, cash-driven exchange of children for commercial sexual exploitation”.
“This entire network thrives through an inter-State nexus of traffickers and men who demand young boys and girls. One of the strategies to counter this would be to discourage men from seeking young people for sex work,” noted the Foundation.
“It is time we all changed our mindsets. And it is time the law is enforced in its true spirit. No one shall be victimised. A victim of trafficking is neither an accused nor an accomplice. Extend all protection and care to them. But first, all offenders need to be behind bars.Choking demand will certainly prevent trafficking. Start with effective deterrence,” said P.M. Nair, an international expert in the field of human trafficking.
The artwork being presented will not have any objectionable images or content, and will be made in a tasteful way to ensure that the message is communicated in a positive manner to the community, the organisers said.
‘Creative outlet’
Yogesh Saini, founder, Delhi Street Art added: “Delhi’s open spaces provide artists like me a creative outlet to express ourselves, especially on issues that concern the citizens on an everyday basis.”
“We wanted to create murals to spread a crucial message about how many children have their aspirations and dreams shattered due to the extreme circumstances they are forced to deal with. They are often driven by violence towards sex work, child labour, or begging as a way of life,” he added.
