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Context - Anti-Human trafficking unit of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescues 10 minors and 4 women.

Details

• The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district rescued 10 minors and 4 women.
• Various forms of trafficking have been recorded in India. People are trafficked for their organs, for sexual exploitation and for forced labour. There is the smuggling of migrants.
• Trafficking continues to adversely influence global harmony and security, disrupting economies and compromising the well-being and security of all countries including India.
• According to the 2009 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the most common reason for human trafficking (79%) is sexual exploitation. The victims of sexual exploitation are predominantly women and girls.

 

Human Trafficking:

• Human trafficking is defined as the forceful exploitation of a person.
• It is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, Prostitution, etc.
• According to the data released by National Crime Records Bureau, the highest numbers of persons were trafficked for forced labour, followed by prostitution.

 

Root causes of Human trafficking:

• The Reasons behind increasing trafficking vary from country to country and often differ from one country to another.
• Social, political, economical, cultural and other factors play a key role in Promoting Trafficking. Women and children are extremely vulnerable to trafficking.
• Socio-economic conditions like poverty, caste discrimination or violence, lack of economic opportunity, Political violence, Climate change, and natural disasters influence trafficking. Displacement of populations increases their vulnerability to becoming a victim of trafficking.
• Increasing penetration of broadcast and telecommunication services and social media in rural areas has increased the desire of people to migrate towards the city and, with that; they are becoming easy targets for traffickers.
• In Some Poor families, Parents sell their children due to their weak financial condition, and also in the hope that their children would get a better standard of living and more opportunities in life.
• Other factors like porous borders, corruption among Government officials, and weak enforcement of Anti-trafficking laws.

 

Major Steps by the Government

• The government enacted the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, of 1986 to deal with trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
• Bonded Labour Regulation Act, 1986 and Child Labour Regulation Act, 1986 deal with the exploitation of bonded labour.
• India is part of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crimes, and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking.
• The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 was introduced in Parliament. It contains provisions for the prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation of trafficked persons.
• The Union government created a National Anti-Trafficking Bureau to monitor the investigation of cases at the national level.

 

Way forward

• Human Trafficking is an organized crime and operated across domestic and international borders, the nature of the crime needs strong cooperation and intelligence sharing between different investigating agencies.
• Steps must be taken for the socio-economic development of potential victims to reduce their vulnerability.
• Focus on improving children’s access to educational and vocational training, especially among girls and minority groups.
• Promoting job opportunities for women by supporting Self Help Groups (SHGs) and organizing training courses to empower them.
• Prohibiting the services provided through trafficked persons, like child labour, prostitution, etc.
• Need to ensure a minimum standard of living for all people, Strict Border control through proper fencing and regular patrolling, Prevent corruption in bureaucracy, etc, to curb the menace of trafficking.
• Steps should be taken to set up Protection Homes across the country, to provide shelter, food, counselling, and medical services to victims.
• Our development goals must include both economic development and social inclusion.

 

https://theprint.in/india/rpf-anti-human-trafficking-unit-rescues-10-minors-4-women/935759/