Editorial

Human Trafficking: The Invisible Crime against Humanity

Opinion | Editorial | John S. Shilshi | 06-Mar-2023

It may at times sound absurd to some when they hear the term "human trafficking," because after all, human beings are thinking species; therefore, how could anyone smuggle them like animals? The reality, though, is that people are being trafficked day in and day out for various types of exploitation through allurement and temptations, which victims innocently accept. By the time the realisation dawns on them, it is often a point of no return. The wits and courage of hapless victims could never match the well-oiled network of traffickers who operate from behind the scenes. They have multiple channels of influence and connections, including some within the government system and even the political class. Therefore, the proverbial ‘need to pull up courage’ when trapped in this net of indignity is easier said than done.

India is a signatory to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Besides the Indian Penal Code, the country has also enacted laws like the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA), 1956, and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, which are indications how seriously this crime against humanity is taken. However, the business of shame not only continues unabated, but thrives and perpetuates, sometimes under the very noses of people who are supposed to prevent them. A Reuters – study in 2017 says an estimated 20 million women are engaged as commercial sex workers in this country, and of them, 16 million are said to be victims of trafficking. Another report by Legal Services India says every hour; four girls enter into prostitution, three of them against their will. In other words, the majority of females who took to this profession did not do so by choice, but were trapped and trafficked through assurances of dignified occupations by a few unscrupulous men and women who recruited them.  

No doubt, human trafficking is a global phenomenon. But the sere magnitude of prevalence in India is unmatched by any other single country. There is no region or state in India that is not affected, including states in the Northeast region. A well-researched report by Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ), an organisation working to emancipate victims of commercial sexual activity for over twenty-five years says, in recent years, victims from the North East states are fast outnumbering those trafficked from Nepal in the tourist-bound state of Goa. The report also says that rescued victims from the North East go through a longer process of scrutiny because some officials refuse to accept them as victims since they speak English fluently. Other independent feedback gathered from different cities in India also indicates a similar situation. While chances of some vested interest motives behind such attitudes cannot be ruled out, the only conceivable reason for such official insensitivity could be lack of knowledge on the social settings of the region and failure to appreciate problems of poverty and unemployment the people face.

Across India, the recruitment of girls and women for this deplorable activity is done in most unsuspecting manners. While some are contacted directly through people who are already connected to the racket, there are others who get trapped in response to genuine-looking job advertisements in local newspapers, inviting people to fill up positions such as receptionists, beauticians, housekeepers, etc. Once hooked to the network, the women are provided air tickets to fly to the destination cities and towns for which the job offers were made. They are specifically advised to dress decently. This serves two purposes: one, the recruits are made to believe that they were indeed being hired by a company of repute, and secondly, it helps in hoodwinking authorities who might have been hawk-eyeing suspicious-looking travellers.

 Upon reaching the designated destinations, the victims are cozied up in reasonably good hotels and resorts, allowing sufficient time for them to relax. They are then gradually pushed into performing a task, which they never thought of even in their wildest dreams. Refusal to continue in the profession is promptly accepted, but on the condition that expenses incurred for their travel, stay, and food and beverage purchases are cleared forthwith before they walk away – a situation next to impossible for the victims. For not only are outstanding debts unaffordable for a one-time payment but also keep multiplying with every passing day. The compromise begins, and the entrapment process is complete. Even the daring few who wish to venture out find it difficult because the traffickers have strong monitoring mechanisms, in some cases even with the tacit cooperation of subordinate members of law enforcement agencies.

 In recent times, traffickers have also adopted a new strategy. In order to allay fears of the much-publicized racial discriminations against people from the Northeast region in big cities of India, smaller towns and cities have been chosen as supposed work places for their recruits. They do so because victims and their parents perceive these places as comparatively safer for north-eastern people as compared to the bigger cities. The end result is that victims land into places where helpline network are very not very active. Secondly just as the operators work from behind the scene, victims, irrespective of which place or society they come from, generally choose to keep their plight under wraps, unknown even to their own family members. Over time, some even become part of the system and help in recruiting hapless victims, blinded by the money they make.

 While people in this dirty business of exploiting fellow human beings keep innovating strategies, using every system loophole as a tool to successfully operate, the system continues to remain jaded, riled by various shortcomings and limitations. The convenient closing of eyes by the police, unless victims are their own people, is also not uncommon. Similarly, the majority of NGOs working against trafficking spend more time sorting out differences with one another than coordinating and synergizing, while the public chooses to blame the law enforcement agencies with allegations of failure. Therefore, this invisible crime against humanity not only continues unhindered but also with impunity.

 What then, is the way forward? Surely there cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution to deal with a problem as complex as trafficking and its implications. However, bringing awareness to the sinister intents of prowling traffickers could go a long way. Potential victims need to be sensitised at the community level by Advocacy groups, Churches and Civil Society Organisations on the need to apply caution while accepting job offers from companies and organisations without adequate checking on their credentials. The enormity of the problem one could face once trapped must also be highlighted. Therefore, the sensitization sessions must essentially include every aspect of the ills associated with trafficking, preferably by experienced and knowledgeable people. Most importantly, people working in the mission of helping victims must have dedication, compassion, and passion to deliver, and perhaps the best way to achieve them is by putting oneself in the shoes of the victims and their families.

 

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