Despite 60 years of independence, benefits of economic development have not trickled down to the major sections of the society and millions of people still live below poverty line. People affected by lack of job opportunities, growing under deprivation, caught in debt bondages or living in areas hit by natural or political disaster thus are highly vulnerable. Women and children of these families are thus exploited the most by traffickers in ray of hope for jobs, money, pleasure trips invitations or false promises of marriage.

PREVENTION STRATEGY –

1.) Since India is a transit point for human trafficking, government should secure the borders by keeping a strict vigil and working closely with bus stands, railway stations and passport offices.

2.) Greater co-ordination should be maintained among states as trafficking has a long trail with several transit points in between. Investigation should be carried keeping in mind to destroy this long trail.

3.) Door to door campaigns at villages for spreading awareness must be done, explaining them tricks of trafficking and how they should not fall under these traps.

4.) Government and NGO’s must ensure post rescue rehabilitation provided with education, healthcare and work opportunities to sustain their living thus preventing from re trafficking.

5.) Database of population of every village with the appropriate demographics like age, gender, income etc. should be maintained with the help of ‘Panchayats’, survey agencies etc. This should be available with a dedicated Human trafficking officer for a designated area. On checking at regular intervals and tallying them with these records, s/he would be able to trace any missing case and start investigation.
CREATING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES –
1.) NGOs must collaborate with each other such that some of them are trained to work in other NGOs (may be with differently abled people, old age homes etc.) and lead a sustainable life.

2.) NGOs can tie up with MNCs who part of their CSR projects can set up small scale factories (like ITC making matchboxes etc.) mainly for these people and train them to work in such factories.

3.) A) An idea for a business start up is a printing press that needs relatively low capital investment and not much training. Initially, contracts for printing can be taken from government school, colleges, offices for stationery products like question papers, registers, note books etc.

B) A screen printing press can be another initiative which can be practiced which also requires very less amount of capital investment. Contracts can be taken for t shirts and other items from schools, colleges, government agencies, political parties, and various other organizations.

Anant Srivastava