Of human bondage
|
Trafficking of women and girls is a major problem in eastern India. RANJITA BISWAS surveys the measures taken to stop this.
|
AFP
Whither Empowerment?: Women are still being sold like commodities.
RECENTL in a small town in West Bengal, a woman and her accomplices forcibly pushed a school girl on her way back from school into a car. Only her presence of mind saved her from being sent away to a brothel outside the State. In the second week of February, four girls from Joynagar and Baruipur, not far from Kolkata, were rescued from a brothel in Pune.
Convenient hub
These news items, however, have become common, as trafficking for prostitution has grown alarmingly in eastern India. Kolkata is the hub of trafficking in women, either to be sold to brothels in the city or in other parts of the country. It is also a convenient stop for traffickers from neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal, known sources in the "supply" line.
The West Bengal Commission for Women recently organised a two-day seminar, "Trafficking in Women and Children in the Eastern Region" to highlight the problem and also explore avenues of workable solutions to tackle this human rights violation. In the year of Beijing +10 when there is much soul-searching about promises made and achieved at the Beijing Conference, the problem of trafficking gains particular importance as it strikes at the root of women's vulnerability. The West Bengal Commission is one of the few to give due importance to this social menace.
According to "Action Research on Trafficking in Women and Children in India", a report prepared by the Institute of Social Sciences for the National Human Rights Commission (2002-03) the girls are sold and re-sold with prices ranging from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1,00,000 depending on various factors. Young girls are more in demand. The report, which covered 12 States, places Andhra Pradesh at the top, followed by Karnataka and West Bengal in terms of abduction and sexual exploitation of children.
Holistic approach
"Trafficking is a complicated issue, and needs a holistic approach while trying to curb it," observes Jasodhara Bagchi, chairperson of West Bengal Commission. The UN 2000 report says that globalisation has added to the problem. Feminisation of poverty has blurred the line between what is right and what is wrong even for the women involved. "We can't cope with the livelihood problem," said women from some high-trafficking districts to researchers from the Calcutta University. The traffickers understand this well indeed.
Most of the girls are under 18 years. The Action Research report says that 14.7 per cent are aged between six and 10 years. The children of commercial sex workers often go into the profession too. "Rape victims ironically, are also sold into prostitution as they are considered unfit to lead a normal social life." (The Changing Status of Women in West Bengal, 1970-2000; Sage Publications). And rape cases are increasing by leaps and bounds in the State — 12 cases in 12 days in February this year.
Border routes
The study also found that the routes of trafficking often begin at the border. While passing through the districts en route to the city, touts also lure girls from the hinterland.
The Census 2001 shows that West Bengal has five of the 10 most populous districts in the country. Three of them — North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad — border Bangladesh.
The porous border with Bangladesh is 4,156 km in length. With 29 per cent riverine and 71 per cent land, it is a particularly thorny problem.
The Border Security Force (BSF) officers say that it is often difficult to distinguish between the illegal entrees and trafficked girls. The other entry point is north Bengal, which has 14 entry points with Nepal, according to the BSF. Once after entering India, the women are kept in West Bengal and Orissa after being "sorted and graded" and sent to other metros, even abroad.
However, despite popular belief, trafficking from across the international border constitutes only 10 per cent of the total, the rest is internal. In the majority of the cases, the girls are trafficked by known persons, relatives, lovers, and even family members. The report found that 75.7 per cent of the trafficked women have direct links with traffickers. A survey by Sanlaap, an NGO in Kolkata, found that the main methods of coercion are kidnapping, promises of jobs in cities and false marriage. The touts, often accompanied by women looking like ordinary housewives, move around the villages searching for victims. Festival times, or village melas, are particularly favoured. A particularly ripe time — from the point of view of traffickers — is disasters as was seen in the aftermath of the super cyclone in Orissa. Sociologists feared a similar repetition in the post-tsunami stage.
Networking
The multi-dimensional problem also needs a multi-dimensional approach, according to experts, calling for co-operation from civil society to police to the administration to work as a network. Quite a few NGOs in Kolkata also network with organisations in Bangladesh and Nepal to rehabilitate trafficked girls.
Until now, rescue and rehabilitation have been done largely by NGOs with help from the police. This is an uphill task considering that, according to the Report, 40 per cent of the police officers are not aware of trafficking and about 55 per cent do not give importance to the problem hemmed in as they are by other law and order problems. Sensitising the police is a valid suggestion.
In the case of cross-border trafficking, the matter is more complicated as the victim is again indicted as an illegal entrant and pushed back when found. This is not really a solution as they are doubly victimised, activists feel.
BSF officers say they have certain problems in trying to prevent trafficking — no women officers in border areas, lack of adequate funds and short-stay homes. Border fencing and floodlighting may help detect illegal crossing, it is hoped. Setting up village vigilance committees in such areas is another suggestion.
Options
Activists suggest that another viable option is to involve the local panchayats. They can maintain a register on girls going out to work, and also keep tabs on the families, since many willingly sell their daughters. Involving Anganwadi workers is another suggestion as they have easy access to families at the grassroots.
Awareness campaigns could provide information on the huge problem and ramifications to the families who often send their daughters to work in cities and who fall into the trap of touts or exploiters. The West Bengal police have opened toll free lines from last November to take complaints of missing persons or other queries. There is also a website which has a list of missing girls.
But why are so many girls missing? Why, when women's empowerment is hotly debated, girls even before their teens are herded like cattle to be sold to the highest bidder? How can society respond to stop this? These are questions that refuse go away.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
