Trafficked victims on the rise in State, says NSCW

NSCW chairperson Dr Temsula Ao speaking at the legal awareness programme on human trafficking in Kohima on May 5.  Kohima, May 5 (EMN): While stating with fear that human trafficking is making a fast inroad into our society, chairperson of Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW), Dr. Temsula Ao on Friday called upon the Naga public to wake up and respond positively in tackling the menace of this dehumanising evil. Speaking at a legal awareness programme on human trafficking today at Hotel de Oriental Grand, Kohima, Dr. Temsula, while regarding human trafficking as a heinous crime, called for a concerted effort from all sections of the Naga society to prevent the menace of human trafficking. Telling the Nagas to realise that “human trafficking is a crime which needs to be tackled by the law of the land,” she bluntly said “such criminal activities cannot be handled by our traditional customary laws,” adding “the crimes of such diverse forms can be dealt with only by the present law enforcing agencies.” NSCW chairperson further urged the concerned organisations and stakeholders to have a proper networking in order to contain human trafficking. “The nature of criminal involvement contained in human trafficking is such that no agency can single-handedly cope with its ramifications because there are many facets to the crime,” she said and went on to say that “even the application of the various laws and penal codes may sometimes be stumped by clever arguments of defending lawyers.” “Only a proper networking of the police, child right agencies, labour department, social welfare, mental health and NGOs working in the field can prevent the menace and contain it,” she said adding “the convergence of these stakeholders as mooted by the police would be the ideal method to prevent and root out the problem before it destroys our youth.” Disclosing the data presented by the State’s police department, NSCW chairperson regretted that human trafficking is making fast inroads into our society. “As per police report, a person goes missing every 4th day. 83% are below the age of 18 (children and minors), while 13 % have been reportedly trafficked and 35% untraced,” she revealed. With India as one of the most affected nations while the northeast region accounted for the most vulnerable regions of the country, she said “the reported cases of rescued victims are increasing in Nagaland.” Addressing a host of leaders representing different Naga women bodies, Dr. Temsula informed that NSCW, in association with the National Commission for Women, New Delhi, has been conducting awareness programmes on human trafficking throughout the length and breadth of the State since March this year. The initiative will continue till the month of May. “We have been travelling to confirm and elaborate upon the fact that human trafficking is a heinous crime and that there are stringent laws in place to deal with such crimes,” she added. While making it known that many cases of human trafficking and missing person have gone unreported, she urged the women leaders and other stakeholders to reach out to the public to encourage them report such cases to the NSCW or police personnel. “Human trafficking is an organised criminal trade which is expanding at a phenomenal rate. One of the goals of human trafficking is prostitution or sex trafficking which affects 4.5 million worldwide, followed by modern day slavery and organ harvesting from the victims,” she said. Legal Consultant NSCW, Khriesinuo Kire educated the gathering stating that human trafficking is the third largest organised crime after drugs and arms trade across the globe. She echoed the words of Dr. Temsula saying that many of such crimes which relates to human trafficking, goes unreported. “Trafficking of children especially girls and young women, mostly from the northeast are taken from their homes and sold in faraway states of India or even abroad for sexual exploitation or forced labour by agents, who lure their parents with education, better life style and money,” she said. Informing that though the government, in association with the NGOS, is taking steps to improve the situation, Kire observed that the efforts were not enough to contain human trafficking. She, therefore, underlined the need for community surveillance which will help in checking the ongoing trafficking activities. “Establishing women groups will help take care of the women of the underprivileged societies since women are the most affected victims,” she added. Member secretary of Nagaland State Legal Services Authority, Neinuo, urged upon all the citizens of the State to make a strong conviction to prevent human trafficking from finding it birth here in Nagaland. “Let us all make a concerted effort to stop human trafficking. If we initiate, the agencies are there to assist us in all the things,” she stated.