New Delhi | March | 22, 2023 : Social organization Shakti Vahini organizes a two-day “National Consultation to Combat Human Trafficking” at Ashok Hotel, New Delhi with technical support from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and in partnership with Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), India Child Protection Fund (ICPF) and Prajwala. The national consultation will deliberate upon important topics related to trafficking such as emerging challenges, prosecution of traffickers and ensuring access to justice for victims. The two-day national consultation was inaugurated today with the lighting of lamp by the Chief Guest Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi along with other key dignitaries including Rupali Banerjee Singh, Member Secretary, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) and Sanjay Chander IPS, Director General of Police, Railway Protection Force. Many stakeholders including law enforcement agencies and civil society organisations from across the country participated in the consultation.
Speaking on the importance of the two-day consultation regarding a heinous crime like human trafficking that continues as a scourge for our society and encouraging the warriors who are fighting against the evil, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi said, “When people with good heart and mind assemble at one place with a noble purpose, they ignite fire of knowledge and offer their best, it then becomes a collective resolve or knowledge and eventually results in collective action. The knowledge that it is created becomes knowledge for all and enlightens the entire universe. The collective knowledge then can become shared wealth for all. Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi further said, “We need an independent and strong law against human trafficking; it is the need of the hour to fight effectively against the crime”. He narrated the story of Farida and Sabo, who were victims of child trafficking, slavery and labour and were rescued 40 years ago by Kailash Satyarthi in his first ever rescue operation. And raised many key issues related to child trafficking, child labour and child slavery and stressed on the importance of enacting a strong anti-human trafficking law to fight the crime. He also commended the valiant efforts of all the key players who were involved in his first ever rescue operation.
“We must keep the spark alive in our hearts and ignite compassion from within to fight against this scourge of human trafficking that impacts the lives and minds of our daughters and women”, said Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
ShaktiVahini is one of India’s pioneering organization fighting against trafficking and operates across the country rescuing several innocent lives and children. In a recent case of a trafficked girl rescued from Gurgaon, ShaktiVahini took effective legal measures to assist the child and her family.
Welcoming the stakeholders and participants Rupali Banerjee Singh, Member Secretary, NCPCR said, “Our joint efforts will surely succeed in combating child trafficking”.
Rekha Sharma, chairperson of National Commission of Women (NCW) said, “Our organization appeals to all civil society members to come forward and join us in the fight against human trafficking, especially girls and women. We have found that many family members are involved in selling off their daughters and women for money and sustenance and this needs to be stopped. We need these kinds of awareness programmes to spread the message against human trafficking”.
Sanjay Chander IPS, Director General of Police, Railway Protection Force said, “RPF has made curbing of human trafficking as one of its major objectives under the sustainable goal targets. Last year in May, we signed an agreement with Bachpan Bachao Andolan for training and capacity building of our officials, conducting sensitization and awareness campaigns and sharing live inputs for joint rescue operations. Our collaboration with Bachpan Bachao Andolan has resulted in rescuing 1686 children from trafficking”.
In the absence of a strong law to combat a heinous crime like Human Trafficking, India continues to see a rise in such crime especially involving minor children and women. The national consultation intends to brainstorm on these burning issues and will appeal to the Union government for passing the pending anti-human trafficking Bill.
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