'Immoral Trafficking Act helpless to punish children and women traffickers'

07 December, 2012

ADVOCATING A united approach for the prevention and control of sexual exploitation and trafficking and children in India, Amod Kumar Kanth, former Director General of Police and general secretary of Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre, New Delhi has said that 'it was a matter of shame that about 53 per cent children in our country are victims of sexual abuse, assault and exploitation'.

Children are our future and it is sad to learn that the percentage of sexual exploitation and trafficking of children, especially girls are increasing at an alarming rate. Innocent kids and women from the poor families are trapped in the brothels by the network of pimps and agents of human traffickers, call girl racketeers and even by illiterate and poor parents in the name of fake employment and marriages, Kanth said.

"Immoral Trafficking Act is also helpless to punish the children and women traffickers and call girl racketeers in Bihar and other states of our country," Kanth said on the occasion of the one-day workshop on 'Child Protection' on Wednesday at the A.N.Sinha Institute of Social Studies (ANSIS) in Patna, Bihar.

Kanth shared his valuable thoughts and experiences on the topic “Juvenile Justice and Law”. He demanded opening of Children Courts for the protection of children rights in different districts of the state. “Poverty eradication programme is essential for the control of child labor and trafficking of children and women. We can make our world healthy, happy and prosperous if we free our kids from the all types of abuse and exploitation, including child labor and trafficking in the state.

"Recruitment project of innocent and poor kids/ child laborers in the Naxlite army by the naxals is very sad and shameful,” Ramdev Prasad (Nana Jee), Chairman of Bihar State Child Labor Commission (BSCLC) said while addressing the gathering.

Registrar of (ANSIS), Patna Prof Nil Ratan demanded stringent punishment to the violators of children's and women's rights not only in the metro cities but also in the remote villages of Bihar and other Indian states. “The cases of female foeticide, child labor and children and women trafficking is increasing in Bihar. We should come forward to strengthen our state by protecting child rights,” said Prof. Ratan.

Women activist Suman Singh appealed to the NGO representatives to unite for the protection of children and women rights by creating more opportunities of livelihood for the economically weaker sections of the society.

Mukhtarul Haque, Y.K. Gautam (general secretary of ATSEC, Bihar), K.D. Mishra and P.K.Sharma shared their work experiences and bitter stories about the child laborers and street children and government’s non-cooperation with the NGOs.

Organised by the Bihar State branch of Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre, Patna on 25th anniversary of PJAC in ANSIS, Patna, and supported by the Adoptioscentrum, nearly about one hundred NGO representatives and child rights activists from different districts of Bihar participated in this workshop. State coordinator of the Prayas, Suresh Kumar welcomed the guests and Chairperson Sunil Kumar Sinha delivered the vote of thanks.