On at least two occasions during the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic-related lockdown, the Calcutta High Court expressed concerns over child trafficking in West Bengal. In an order on June 10, the court, while hearing a matter on the “Contagion of COVID-19 Virus in Children Protection Homes”, observed that apprehensions had been expressed that on “lifting of lockdown, there is likely to be a massive spurt in child trafficking for labour and commercial sexual exploitation”.
“The State of West Bengal has many porous districts and incidents of child trafficking are not uncommon. The middlemen are quite active in some of these porous districts of Bengal. We would be failing in our duty if we cannot protect the children from any kind of abuse including their exploitation,” the order states.
In the same order, the court directed that the pradhans of all panchayats of the respective districts should be sensitised about child rights and the evils of child marriage. “This order should also reach to all pradhan[s] and it would be duty of the District Magistrates that at the panchayat level these issues are addressed and remedial measures are taken with all promptitude,” the order by Justices Harish Tandon and Soumen Sen said.
On another hearing of the same case on August 26, the Bench expressed concern over increasing numbers of child marriages and noted the sensitive role of the pradhans and members of panchayats in protecting children and preventing child marriages. While there were reports of an increase in child marriage and child trafficking from the districts, there are no clear numbers available on how many cases of trafficking or child marriage have been reported in the State due to the lockdown.
Almost six years ago, the West Bengal government, in 2014, laid down guidelines for setting up child protection committees at the village level and block level. In an attempt to strengthen these committees and increase vigilance at the grassroots level, Action Aid, an NGO, started a campaign in different districts of West Bengal. This campaign is targeted at the districts that are more vulnerable to child trafficking and child marriage, such as South 24 Parganas, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda and Murshidabad.
Panchayats have a role in providing protection to the children in times of distress due to COVID-19, and this is something that the High Court has also highlighted in its recent orders, Ashok Kumar Nayak, programme manager, Action Aid, said.
“The campaign focused on an appeal by adolescent groups from different villages to their respective panchayat representatives so that they take steps for making the villages child-friendly. In the wake of COVID-19, the concerns largely highlighted across the districts are the potential threat of child marriage and the trafficking of children,” Mr. Nayak said.
Adolescents across these districts have appealed to their panchayat functionaries on these issues. An appeal from Sangita Mondal, Class XI student from Kultali in South 24 Parganas, states: “School closures due to COVID-19 have forced so many boys and girls out of school. COVID-19 has led to an increase in child marriage and trafficking in my area. I appeal to our panchayat leaders to do something about this crisis.”
Mr. Nayak said that this was the time of year when panchayats carry out their annual planning and the campaign is aimed at making child protection a part of it.
