The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : `Help' at hand against flesh trade

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

`Help' at hand against flesh trade

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, OCT. 15. The District Minority Welfare Officer, P. Sivashankara Rao, on Friday sought the help of local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to curb child-trafficking.

Addressing a meeting held in connection with a Praja Chaitanya Yatra taken up by girl children from households affected by flesh trade, Mr. Rao, who is also the Project Director of National Child Labour Project, said factors like illiteracy were the prime reason for the menace. "Its origin can be traced back to several decades," he observed. "The Government is keen on addressing such issues at a ground-level but information is seldom forthcoming," he admitted.

Yatra by girls

The yatra is organised by Help, an NGO from Ongole in Prakasam district in co-ordination with Plan India and Academy of Gandhian Studies. The girls, numbering 20, commenced their awareness drive at Sullurpet in Nellore on October 13. On their way to Srikakulam, where the journey will end, they made a brief halt at Vijayawada on Friday.

"We want to tell others who come from a similar background about their rights. Not everyone is aware that they can seek help," said D. Padmanjali of Vinukonda and Ch. Anita of Hyderabad. The girls stay in a hostel run by the Help at Ongole.

Saving the young

The secretary of Help, N. Ram Mohan, said the focus was on prevention

of `second-generation sex workers'. Flesh trade awaits girls hailing from households where women are already into the practice. Our objective is to save these girls from pimps and help them lead a normal life," he explained.

Mr. Ram Mohan criticised the Government for its `failure' to prevent child-trafficking. "The Government is trying to shirk responsibility," he said.

Citing the GO Ms. No.1 issued by the Women and Child Welfare Department in January, 2003, envisaging a policy for combating trafficking of women and children for commercial and sexual exploitation, Mr. Ram Mohan pointed out that an action plan mooted district-level committees for implementation of prevention, rescue and rehabilitation schemes. As per the GO, the committee should be under the chairmanship of the district Collectors with the Superintendents of Police, DRDA project directors, District Medical and Health Officers and representatives of Mahila Finance Corporations as members. Mr. Ram Mohan said the yatra was aimed at mobilising people's support and mount pressure on the Government for implementation of its promises. Representatives of local NGOs - Guide, Sarvodaya, Nestam and City Education Society- rendered their active support to the yatra.

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