The Hindu
Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and
Needed: an anti-trafficking law
Kailash Satyarthi, JULY 28, 2021
Human trafficking is a crime in itself, but it is also
the propeller of several other crimes.
Sita was 13 years old when she was trafficked. Her
parents worked in a tea garden in Assam for
meagre wages. She was trafficked to a placement
agency in New Delhi, and bought for about
₹20,000 as a domestic worker by a couple. Sita
was not paid a single rupee. Instead, she was re-
trafficked, raped, and exploited by employers and
traffickers. Sita’s father and I found the young girl
trapped in a house in Delhi three years later. But
she did not step out when we found her. She hid
behind a wall, crying. “I cannot show my face to
my father. I am impure now. I want to kill myself,”
she said.
This is the reality of thousands of women and
children from the poorest sections of our society.
No nation can call itself civilised if it tolerates the
buying and selling of its daughters. Of what
meaning is the wealth, power or progress of a
nation if its children are traded as though in
medieval slave trade, at a lower price than cattle?
A comprehensive Bill
BachpanBachaoAndolan (BBA) and various civil
society groups have campaigned for decades for a
strong law to end this menace of human
trafficking. In 2017, Sita and thousands of survivors
like her marched in the Bharat Yatra alongside
students, governments, the judiciary, multifaith
leaders, businesses and civil society to demand for
such a law. We covered 12,000 km with over 1.2
million people on foot with the single demand that
India must pass a comprehensive anti-trafficking
legislation. The passionate chants of these brave
hearts who survived trafficking still reverberate in
my ears, “Bikne ko taiyaarnahi hum, lutne ko
taiyaarnahi hum (We are not ready to be sold, we
are not ready to be stolen)”.
VAJIRAM & RAVI
The Government of India has proposed the
Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021. This Bill aims to tackle all
aspects of trafficking including the social and
economic causes of the crime, punishment to
traffickers, and the protection and rehabilitation of
survivors. This is achievable if the Bill has the
necessary checks and balances against potential
misuse of power by agencies, periodic reviews of
the law, and adequate allocation of resources for
effective implementation. The government must
include these crucial provisions in the Bill and
facilitate its smooth passage in the current session
of Parliament.
A problem worsened by COVID
COVID-19 has further intensified the need for the
law. Traffickers are taking advantage of prolonged
school closures and loss of family livelihood. BBA
with government agencies has rescued almost
9,000 children from trafficking since the first
lockdown. In comparison, about half this number
of children were rescued during the same time
period of 14 months preceding the pandemic. The
gravity of the situation cannot be undermined. We
will not recover from the effects of the pandemic
without the wherewithal to address its human
impact, which comes with this law and its
associated budgets.
Human trafficking is a crime in itself, but it is also
the propeller of several other crimes. It creates a
parallel black economy which fuels child labour,
child marriage, prostitution, bonded labour, forced
beggary, drug-related crimes, corruption,
terrorism and other illicit businesses. The
architects of our Constitution established the
severity of the crime of trafficking by making it the
only offence punishable under the Constitution of
India itself, besides untouchability. A strong anti-
trafficking law is the moral and constitutional
responsibility of our elected leaders, and a
necessary step towards nation-building and
economic progress. It is non-negotiable for the
realisation of an India that our Constitution-
makers envisioned, our freedom fighters struggled
for, our soldiers die for, and our children deserve.
India is stepping into its 75th year of
Independence. There can be no greater gift to
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India than the freedom of our children. I call on
Parliament to urgently pass a strong anti-
trafficking law.
Kailash Satyarthi is a Nobel Laureate
The Hindu
Women’s safety during lockdown
Jayanthi Natarajan, APRIL 13, 2020
Steps to protect victims of domestic violence
must be made a part of the anti-COVID-19 agenda
It is well-documented that during a war, a natural
disaster or a pandemic, women’s bodies bear the
worse brunt of the crisis. Domestic violence
against women is already widespread and under-
reported in India. Now, at the time of the COVID-
19 pandemic, the United Nations recognises
domestic violence against women as a “shadow
pandemic”. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered
a huge spike in domestic violence against women
in China, Australia, France, the U.K., Spain, and
Bangladesh, among others. In India, too, the
National Commission for Women has reported a
large increase in distress calls from victims of
domestic violence since the pandemic broke out.
Home, not safe for many
The national strategy against COVID -19
emphasises that home is the safest place to be.
Ironically, for domestic violence victims, home is
the most unsafe place to be quarantined as they
are forced to live with their abusers. Although
asking people to stay at home is an effective and
welcome anti-COVID-19 strategy, home is not the
safe haven it should be for many women because
abusers have increased access to their victims and
survivors have decreased or no access to
resources.
Domestic violence can be verbal, financial,
psychological and sexual. It includes the abuser
withholding financial or medical assistance.
Women are most often the caregivers for those
quarantined at home and already infected with
the virus, which makes them more vulnerable to
contracting the disease.
VAJIRAM & RAVI
Domestic violence is rooted in the inequities of
power and control. The abusers feel an enormous
loss of power and control over their own lives due
to the pandemic. They vent their frustration on the
women in the house. Mental health issues arise
out of isolation as well as reactive depression, but
instead of recognising these issues and seeking
help, people become violent.
The victims are not only unable to speak out
because they are quarantined at home with the
perpetrators, but also because the lockdown
prevents them from seeking help outside. In Spain
and France, women can go to a pharmacy and
request a “Mask 19” — a code word that will alert
the pharmacist to contact the authorities.
Tragically, traditional forms of support are now
not available to domestic violence victims. They
don’t go to their parental homes for fear of
infecting elderly parents. Shelter homes are
crowded and so they are vulnerable to greater
infection there. The police force is already
overburdened with ensuring that people comply
with the lockdown. Hospitals do not have the
space or time to look at domestic violence cases.
Protecting victims
Nevertheless, it is vital for policymakers to address
the needs of these women who are playing an
indispensable role on the front line in the war
against COVID-19 — as health workers, sanitation
staff, caregivers, scientists, and as long-suffering
housewives. Priority measures to help domestic
violence victims, without detracting from the
overall anti-COVID-19 strategy of lockdown, should
be initiated by the government, and steps to
protect victims of domestic violence be made a
part of overall anti-COVID-19 action plans.
UN Women has said that “helplines, psychosocial
support and online counselling should be boosted,
using technology-based solutions such as SMS,
online tools and networks to expand social
support, and to reach women with no access to
phones or Internet.” Other priorities include a
more responsive police force, and other
government agencies who are not dismissive of
domestic violence complaints. Social media posts
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mocking and patronising angry or “suffering” men
in isolation who are helping in housework should
be reported and acted upon. The electronic media
can raise awareness in regional language
infomercials, since domestic violence is a crime
under the Indian Penal Code. SOS messaging to
police already exists in several cities, but this
should be enhanced with geolocation facilities.

Jayanthi Natarajan is a political activist and a

former Union Minister

VAJIRAM & RAVI Page 3