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Human trafficking in West Bengal: the present scenario and challenges
Mahfuz Alam , Research Scholar, Dept of Education, University of Kalyani
Introduction
Human trafficking is a serious issue in India. The concept of trafficking denotes a trade in
something that should not be traded in. Human trafficking is the illegal trade of humans, mostly
for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor & commercial sexual exploitation for the
trafficker or others. Every year, thousands of men, women and children are trafficked in their
own country or abroad for these purposes. Trafficking in persons is a serious violation of human
rights. United Nations defines Human Trafficking as “Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment,
transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or
other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the
consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other
forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery,
servitude or the removal of organs” (Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress
and Punish Trafficking in Persons). Women and children are the worst sufferer in trafficking.
UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that 75% of trafficking victims are women
and children.
India is listed in the Tier II list of the UN which includes countries which have failed to combat
human trafficking. According to the study of NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) in
2004, on average 22480 women and 44476 children were reported missing in India. Almost
35000 children are reported as missing in India in 2011.
West Bengal is considered as one of the prime hubs for human trafficking in India. The United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported 549 cases of human trafficking in West Bengal.
Objectives
This study aims to
1) Observe the present scenario of human trafficking in West Bengal
2) Finding the probable reasons and recommending probable suggestions.
Methodology
This is an empirical study. We have used several government and non government reports as our
secondary data. We have also observed the views of NGOs who are working in this concern.
Legal framework & provisions in Indian Constitution to prevent human trafficking in India
In Indian Constitution, Article 23 prohibits “traffic in human beings and begar and other similar
forms of forced labour”. Article 24 further restricts employment of children below 14 years of
age in factories, mines or other hazardous employment. Article 14 speaks for equality before
law. Article 15 deals with prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or
place of birth. The Directive Principles of State Policy articulated in the Constitution are also
significant, particularly Article 39 which categorically states that men and women should have
the right to an adequate means of livelihood and equal pay for equal work; that men, women and
children should not be forced by economic necessity to enter unsuitable avocations; and that
children and youth should be protected against exploitation. Article 43 states that all workers
should have a living wage and there should be appropriate conditions of work so as to ensure a
decent standard of life. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 contains more than 20 provisions that are
relevant to trafficking and impose criminal penalties for offences like kidnapping, abduction,
buying or selling a person for slavery/labour, buying or selling a minor for prostitution,
importing/procuring a minor girl, rape, etc.
There are several laws regarding human trafficking in India. Let’s have a list of them.
IPC crimes
1) Prosecution of minor girls (Section 366-A IPC).
2) Importation of girls ( Section 366-B IPC))
3) Selling of girls for prostitution (Section 372 IPC)
4) Buying of girls for prosecution (Section 373 IPC)
SLL crimes
1) Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act 1956
2) Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929
National Crime Record Bureau also considers following legislations as the part of human
trafficking offences.
1) Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act 1976
2) Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000
3) Child Labor ( Prohibition and regulation) Act 1986
4) Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994
Reported cases of human trafficking in India
NCRB reports total 3940 incidents of crimes under various provisions of laws relating to human
trafficking in India in 2013. The number was 3554 in 2012 and it shows 10.9% increase. In 2009,
2448 cases were reported in this concern. So, the crime under human trafficking during the year
2013 has increased by 38.3% over 2009.
Let’s have a list of crimes under human trafficking in the time period 2009-2013.
Table 1: crimes under human trafficking in India
SL
NO
YEAR TOTAL IPC CRIMES TOTAL SLL
CRIMES
CASES
UNDER
HUMAN
TRAFFICKING
RATE OF
CRIME
UNDER
HUMAN
TRAFFICKING
1 2009 2121345 4553872 2848 0.2
2 2010 2224831 4525917 3422 0.3
3 2011 2325575 3927154 3517 0.3
4 2012 2387188 3654371 3554 0.3
5 2013 2647722 3992656 3940 0.3
Source- Crime in India 2013
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that Tamil Nadu has registered 528 cases of
human trafficking in 2012. According to the data of Home Ministry, 1379 cases of human
trafficking were reported from Karnataka in the period of four years. In case of Tamil Nadu the
number is 2,244 and Andhra Pradesh has 2,157 cases of human trafficking.
Children are trafficked for 'sex -tourism' in places like Goa, Kerala, Karwar and Himachal
Pradesh. Traffickers exploit the poverty of the poor parents. Andhrapradesh, West Bengal,
Maharastra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Bihar, Orissa and Delhi are marked as the prime hubs for
human trafficking.
Present scenario in West Bengal
The recent report of United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) titled ‘Anti Human
Trafficking, 2013’ states that out of over 19,000 women and children reported missing in West
Bengal in 2011, only 6,000 could be traced.
West Bengal has international border (2,217 kms with Bangladesh, 92 kms with Nepal and 175
kms with Bhutan) with three countries. This geographical position makes this state as heaven for
the traffickers. Almost all the districts are vulnerable to trafficking.
According to government reports, human trafficking is highest in Murshidabad and North &
South 24 Parganas. Government reports also shows that number of missing children in West
Bengal was 368 in 2001 and the number of missing children in West Bengal was 8599 in 2010.
Number of missing women in West Bengal was 6514 in 2010. United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime states that number of registered cases under human trafficking is 549 in West Bengal
in 2012.
Table 2: Cases registered under human trafficking in West Bengal in 2013
Buying girls
for
prostitution
Selling girls
for
prostitution
Procuration
of minor girls
Importation
of girls
Immoral
Trafficking
(Prevention)
Act. 1956
Total
1 69 486 9 104 669
Source: Crime in India, 2013
Children and women from Bengal are mostly trafficked to Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, revealed the
study. After this the destinations are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab. Some new
destinations that have been identified are Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Haridwar,
West Bengal is used as a source, transit and destination for national &international trafficking in
women and children. Helpless children and women of West Bengal, generally are trafficked to
Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. The other trafficking destinations are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Bangalore, Haridwar, Punjab and Ahemedabad.
Biswajit Ghosh and Anandamohan Kar in their study ‘Trafficking in Women and Children in
WestBengal’ (Socialist Perspective,Vol 36, No 1-2, 2008: 83-10, ISSN 0970-8863), has shown that
Siliguri, Tufanganj, Kishanganj,Raiganj, Maynaguri, Farakka, Alipurduar, Dinhata, Balurghat,
Islampur,Dalkhola, Old Malda, English Bazar, Kaliachak, Lalgola, Howrah,Sealdah, Haldia,
Kolaghat, Kharagpur, Bandel, Naihati, Durgapur,Asansol, Adra, Rampurhat, Seuri, Bishnupur,
and Kulti are utilized as transit zones for human trafficking in West Bengal.The UNICEF has
marked the following districts - Murshidabad, Dinajpur (South and North), Nadia, Howrah,
North 24 Parganas and Midnapur as “endemic areas of child and women trafficking”(UNICEF
2005).
West Bengal is also a hub for international traffickers. Girls from Bangladesh and Nepal are
trafficked through north Bengal in India. UNDOC has already revealed that women and children
constitute more than 75% of the trafficked population. Traffickers offer marriage proposal to the
poor families. They also offer some money for that marriage. The poor parents send their girl in
form of social marriage with an unknown person to some unknown destination with the belief
that their girl will be happy. And the girls get trafficked into the Sex Racket.
In some cases, the girls are taken to Mumbai and other cities to do the domestic works. It is
another way of human trafficking. These girls are often sexually molested at their work places.
Thousands of girls from the rural Bengal are working as the domestic help in the metro cities.
Daily wage is very low for the unskilled labors in West Bengal. An unskilled labor earns
maximum Rs.200 per day in this state. But, the wage is double in southern states. Thousands of
unskilled labor got to South India for earning. They are unaccounted in any type of social survey.
A large section of youths go to Middle East countries for work. They are kind of bonded labor.
The transporting agency keeps their passport and compels them to work without their consent.
Reasons for increasing human trafficking in West Bengal
1) Poverty : In all studies, it has been observed that traffickers target poor families. They
lure them by monetary offers. Compelled by economic necessity, the poor families send
their boy or girl child in the name of marriage or work. All the affected districts of West
Bengal, are the habitat of poor uneducated people who mostly belong to minority or
schedule tribe or schedule caste origins.
2) Child marriage : In West Bengal, according to government report, around 63% girls are
getting married in their adolescence. The percentage is higher among minorities and
schedule castes & tribes. In Murshidabad &Malda, girls are trafficked through marriage
into the ‘Sex Racket’ in Metro Cities.
3) Bonded Labor : According to the reports of International Labour Organization, there are
around 11.7 million people working as a forced labor in the Asia-Pacific region. Bonded
labor is illegal in India. But it can be seen in rural India till today. Poor people sell their
skill in order to pay their debt.
4) Social Inequality : Increasing social inequality is instrumental for creating large number
of deprived people in West Bengal. Many studies have shown the poor socio-economical
condition of the larger section of people in this state. This situation makes them as the
soft target of the traffickers.
5) Corruption : Traffickers often get help from the police and local administration. An
illegal nexus between the traffickers and local politicians, police-administration makes it
tough to identify the racket in time.
6) Lack of social awareness : People of rural Bengal are still not aware of human
trafficking. They send their girl to Mumbai or some other cities in belief that they will
work as the housemaid. But, later the girl is forced to enter into the Sex Racket.
7) Gender inequality: Gender inequality is a big problem in West Bengal. Girl children are
brought up only for breeding child. Girl children are considered as the burden of the
family in our society. It is observed in many areas of north Bengal that guardians sell
their girls to the traffickers intentionally.
8) Unemployment: Traffickers lure poor people by offering them jobs and earning
opportunities outside. Poor people jumps into this trap. This reveals the lack of
employment opportunities in West Bengal.
Recommendations
1) Implementing laws regarding Human Trafficking: We have several laws to prevent
human trafficking but the practical application of the laws is very rare to be seen. NGOs
often complain that police do not take serious steps against the traffickers. The laws
should be implemented properly in order to prevent the human trafficking.
2) Increasing social awareness: In rural Bengal, people do not have proper idea about
preventing human trafficking. Men, women and children got missing from their homes.
In most cases, police complaint is not registered. Camps should be organized to aware
common people about human trafficking. Local administration, NGOs and political
parties should work jointly.
3) Creating employment opportunities: Unemployment is always the biggest reason for
increasing trafficking. Government should create job opportunities for skilled and
unskilled labors in order to prevent human trafficking. Vocational and technical schools
should be given more priority in this regard.
4) Increasing educational opportunities: The affected belts of human trafficking are
mostly habitat of poor and illiterate people. Increasing educational opportunities will help
to create social awareness.
5) Organizing campaigns to abolish gender inequality: This is a long term process. We,
everyone should work to create awareness about equal rights of women. It will help to
create protective environment for the women.
6) Protecting unorganized labors: There is very little provision to protect unorganized
labors and these unorganized labors are easy targets of traffickers. Protecting unorganized
labors is a necessary task.
7) Increasing minimum wage of the labors: The daily wage of unskilled labors is quite
high in other states than West Bengal. Unskilled labors of this state go to other states for
earning. They are trapped by the traffickers. By giving providing a standard wage, the life
can be better for the unskilled labors. At least, they will stop going outside Bengal.
We hope that this study will be helpful for further research in this regard.
References
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84392-242-1
Cullen Dupont, Cathryn, (2009), Global Issues: Human Trafficking, USA, Infobase Publishing,
ISBN 978-0-8160-7545-4
United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime, (2009), Global Report on Trafficking in Persons,
UNICEF
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India (Vol 1), Institute of Social Sciences, National Human Rights Commission, UNIFEM
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