Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, APRIL 22
The concern of the Naga public about the reduced effectiveness of Nagaland police enforcement and criminal investigation due to ‘VIP duty’ and ‘VIP security’ for politicians and state protocols, is not new. The concern is old. In fact, it is a regular point of conversation for the state’s public. However, it is a viewpoint never openly even broached by government authorities, and for obvious reasons.
That may have changed though. On Friday, a top police official in Nagaland’s anti-crime administration dunked it down straight on the table: police authorities in the state are unable to focus on enforcement work such as human trafficking because they have had to keep ‘busy for VIP duties and VIP security.’ The same fate goes for their performance in criminal investigation, the official said.
The state police official was speaking during the second day of a workshop and capacity building programme on human trafficking with Police personnel at the police headquarters in Kohima town on Friday. The State Resource Centre for Women under the aegis of the Nagaland State Social Welfare Board and ARZ (Anyay Rahit Zindagi) had sensed the need for serious deliberations on the issue of human trafficking and the need for appropriate measures to deal with it effectively. The event, collaboration with Nagaland Police and the Netherlands’ welfare activists Terre des hommes, was the result of that intervention.
Talking on the seriousness on the issue of human trafficking, Inspector General of Police (crime) Toshi Tsungba Aier minced no words when he said that police officers were not ‘taking serious concern on the issue, but are rather busy for VIP duties and VIP security.’
In January this year too, IGP Aier had admitted during an event in Chumukedima that the performance of police in Nagaland had ‘not been satisfactory to resolve cases of missing people and trafficking.’
Stating that the ground reality of human trafficking was quite different from what statistical data says, Aier said police officers consider human trafficking not part of their job; they are not taking interest in criminal law investigation.
Therefore, the senior police official said, unless the police change its attitude, no amount of seminars, instructions and orders will ‘improve this issue.’ Challenging the police personnel of the state to change their attitude and take trafficking as a crime against humanity, Aier said ‘if you don’t do today, your children will become the victim tomorrow.’ He maintained that before any of their children, sisters or other family members becomes a victim, the police officers should ‘take interest’ in enforcement.
‘No amount of rehabilitation, rescue will compensate the damage done to the individual...this crime will affect your family and your society,’ he said. Unless the police are sensitized, take interest and take preventive measures for combat and enforcement, the problem will continue to grow, the IGP said. ‘This problem can be prevented only through police officers sensitivity and attitude’ Aier said.
The IGP also asserted that the churches, nongovernmental and community group should talk about human trafficking. ‘If everybody is alert, no perpetrator will take advantage,’ he explained.
Human trafficking: The flesh trade
Human trafficking is the third biggest illegal profit-making business after drugs and the arms trade in the world. North-east India is touted to have become a hotspot for human trafficking, and in the recent past Nagaland has become a ‘source, destination and transit’ state itself.
‘(That is) Because of (trafficking) clandestine nature, many of the trafficking cases go unreported’ said a women welfare activist who also spoke during the event.
Gracy Ayee, state coordinator for State Resource Centre for Women, named ignorance, gullibility and poor economic condition as the main reasons for children and young women falling prey to the prospect of better education, lucrative jobs and other opportunities. They end up sexually exploited, in seedy factories or mines under deplorable conditions, and such vulnerable conditions.
She referred to several cases, even such as reports of women being commercially sexually exploited at the Nagaland-Assam border, and pubs and restaurants located along NH-39 at Lahorijan under Karbi Anglong district, Assam. Ayee said that flesh trade for the area was fast flourishing. ‘There is growing evidence of the existence of trafficking nexus being operated between traffickers outside the state with the locals,’ she said.
Accept issue as reality, not aberration
Another speaker during the event was Arun Pandey, the director of ARZ and member of the Standing Committee on Anti Human Trafficking of the ministry of Women and Child development. Speaking on the topic ‘Concept clarity about HT for CSE,’ Pandey said that the people need to accept the problem of human trafficking as a reality, understand the ‘whys’, ‘hows’ and, most importantly, need to view it in terms of intervention.
Showing a short movie clip, he clarified certain concepts relating to human trafficking. Pandey also listed some roles of the police. ‘Human trafficking is a criminal act,’ he said, ‘which can be combated by prevented vulnerable person from being trafficked; rescue those who are being trafficked and prosecuting those who are directly or indirectly involved in trafficking.’
However, he added that such intervention will not be possible without the active involvement of the police.
Deputy Inspector General of Police W Krome also spoke about the challenges being faced in the combat against human trafficking. Neinguvotuo Krose, a legal-probation officer of the State Child Protection Society spoke about the role of Special Juvenile Police Units besides the concern that is child trafficking.
