The shocking incident in which 36 children were rescued from human trafficking and brought to Ranchi from New Delhi on Thursday, seems to be reiterating the worrisome fact that how the tribal State has seemingly became the hotbed of modern day slavery wherein family members, neighbours, distant relative are involved in this flesh and organ trade.
Rabindra Prasad Singh, Director, Women, Child Development and Social Security said that 30 young girls aged between 12-18 and six boys aged between14-16 were picked up by a gang of 15 members from various districts of Jharkhand.
“These children belong to the the poor tribal communities of our State. They were picked up a gang group led by a man named Prakash and the State police and Delhi police are trying to arrest this gang immediately. These children were taken away from their homes with their parents’ consent on the pretext of offering employment in beauty parlours, NGOs, domestic helps and etc. We were informed by the Delhi Police about their whereabouts in the capital city and then, we started the coordination to rescue them from the children homes and rehabilitate them to their respective homes,” said Singh.
Singh gave assurance about the well-being of these young boys and girls and said that creating maximum awareness about this rising issue would only be able to tackle this situation. “The young girls have been sent to Pramasaya, an orphanage home in the city and the young boys have been shifted to Jatiseva Kendra till the time we locate their parents, rehabilitate them with proper counseling,” added Singh.
Meanwhile, these children who were picked up from small villages of Sahebganj, Gumla, Ranchi, Godda, Pakur, latehar, Khunti, West Singhbhum, Simdega, Bokaro and Garhwa, indicate that the State is undoubtedly, quite vulnerable for trafficking of young girls and boys.
Mahadev Hansda, State Programme Manager for Save the Children, a NGO, also reiterated the fact that the growing menace of missing children, especially young tribal girls from these villages has become a trend in the recent past.
“More and more number of villages in these districts of Jharkhand are left with almost no or very less teenage girls. This indicates to the rise in such placement agencies that are working in a manner wherein the consent of the families are taken before-hand and a lump sum amount paid too. Proper rehabilitation and education at all levels in these villages have to be ensured along with employment schemes to be made available for such poor families. This is a very serious issue and there is no single compiled report to suggest the growing number but the number is undoubtedly increasing,” said Hansda.
A 2013 report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime identified Jharkhand as one of the State’s most vulnerable for trafficking of women and children. Much of the trafficking is done by placement agencies that are actually organised crime syndicates, the report said.