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National plan to counter human trafficking

Sujay Mehdudia

Anti-trafficking cells in States under study, says Chidambaram

Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act 1956 to get more teeth
States told to address social reasons behind immoral trafficking

NEW DELHI: The Women and Child Development Ministry was contemplating bringing amendments to the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956 to make it more stringent even as the government was contemplating setting up of anti-trafficking cells in States under a national plan for countering human trafficking in the country, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Replying to a question and subsequent supplementaries on the issue, he said the government also proposes amendments to the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956 for providing stringent legal framework to effectively deal with the menace.

“The Women and Child Development Ministry is piloting amendments in the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956 to enhance its scope for introducing stringent punishment against traffickers,” he added.

Nodal cell formed

Mr. Chidambaram said the Home Ministry had formed a nodal cell through which it was coordinating on matters relating to trafficking in human beings with other Ministries and State governments. Noting that a bulk of human trafficking cases was directly related to women and girls, he said out of 4,087 cases in 2007 related to trafficking, 3,568 cases were concerned with immoral trafficking.

He said that States should take steps to address social reasons behind immoral trafficking and the Centre could help them.

When Brinda Karat of the CPI(M) sought to know whether the government was planning to introduce any specific legislation to curb trafficking as had already been recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, Mr. Chidambaram said the Ministry for Women and Child Development has proposed several amendments to the Act and if the House found them inadequate, necessary amendments could be suggested.

The Home Minister said a regional task force has been set up for implementation of SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution and Standard Operation Procedures for preventing and combating trafficking for prostitution.

When some members asked Mr. Chidambaram whether the government agreed with a U.S. report that India had become a large bastion of human trafficking, he said: “Though it is an issue of serious concern and the government has made serious efforts to deal with this crime in a holistic manner, it does not take cognisance of a report made by the U.S. State Department to meet the requirements laid by the U.S. Congress. This is an internal matter between the U.S. government and U.S. Congress.”

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