Combating human trafficking
Lured by lucrative job
prospects, many
impoverished people, including women and girls, are being caught
in the traps laid by
the gangs
That a leading Indian rights group has launched an initiative to return home four young Bangladeshi women who are languishing in a shelter for distressed women in Kerala for nearly a decade as victims of human trafficking is a good piece of news. According to a report in this newspaper yesterday, human traffickers smuggled the four tender-aged girls out of Bangladesh alluring them of prospects of better livelihood. The reasons for migration to other countries from the native land willingly or unwillingly are many---economic, social, political, psychological, etc., and it is quite disturbing to note that the country witnessed a phenomenal upswing in human trafficking incidents in the recent years.
According to sources, thousands of people, including women and children, have been trafficked through the sea routes and land routes in the past few years. Members of human trafficking gangs have been engaged in this vicious practice. The activities of the gangs are expanded to different parts of the country, including the capital city.
Lured by lucrative job prospects, many impoverished people, including women and girls, are being caught in the traps laid by the gangs. Most of the victims bear the brunt of slavery and wretchedness. Inhuman torture perpetrated by the human traffickers and their agents even cause deaths of many innocent ones. What is worrying is that the women and girls who are victims of human trafficking are repeatedly raped by members of human trafficking gangs at home and in foreign lands. The physical and mental torture perpetrated on the victims leave them traumatized.
But it is very unfortunate that no tangible action has been taken against the syndicates involved in human trafficking. The big-shots involved in this heinous crime remain untouched. It is high time for the government to rein in the human traffickers. Massive awareness should be generated against this heinous crime. On the other hand, the victims of human trafficking need proper rehabilitation. They should be provided with financial, mental and moral support to overcome the trauma. Since it is a humanitarian issue, the officials of our missions abroad should address the predicament faced by the victims by extending them legal, administrative and other supports. Members of the law enforcement agencies and civil society have vital roles to play in this regard.
