Operation AAHT

Context:

Recently, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has launched a nationwide operation to curb human trafficking.

Operation AAHT

• As part of this operation, special teams will be deployed on all long-distance trains/routes with focus on rescuing victims, particularly women and children, from the clutches of traffickers.
• The RPF will act as a bridge cutting across States to assist the local police in the mission to curb the menace.
• The infrastructure and intelligence network of the force could be utilized to collect, collate and analyse clues on victims, source, route, destination, popular trains used by suspects, identity of carriers/agents, kingpins etc and shared with other law-enforcing agencies.

Why need this mission?

• The Railways, which operate about 21,000 trains across the country daily, is the most reliable mode of transportation for the traffickers who often move their victims on long-distance trains.
• Thousands of Indians and persons from neighboring countries are trafficked every day to some destinations where they were forced to live like slaves.
• They are also being trafficked for illegal adoptions, organ transplants, working in circus, begging and entertainment industry.

What is Human Trafficking?

• Human trafficking, also called trafficking in persons, form of modern-day slavery involving the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception for the purpose of labour, sexual exploitation, or activities in which others benefit financially.
  • Human Trafficking, especially of women and children, for sexual exploitation, forced marriage, domestic servitude, organ transplant, drug peddling, etc is an organised crime and the most abominable violation of human rights.
• There is a popular understanding that trafficking is happening a lot more between countries but a report by UNODC highlights that close to 60% of trafficking happens internally in countries.
• Situation in India: The most affected state presently is West Bengal followed by Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam.

Global and India Statistics – UN reports 

The Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2018 released by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that women and girls make up most trafficking victims throughout the world. It also mentions that almost three-quarters of them are trafficked for sexual exploitation, and 35% (women and girls) are trafficked for forced labor. The findings of the report also mentions that children account for 30% of those being trafficked, and far more girls are detected than boys. It states that there is a steady increase in trafficking since 2010

Human Trafficking Trends in India : NCRB report

• According to the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 8,132 cases of human trafficking were reported in India in 2016 under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.  This is 15% increase from the number of cases reported in the previous year.
• The NCRB report mentions that West Bengal reported the most children trafficked (3,113), followed by Rajasthan (2,519), Uttar Pradesh (832), and Gujarat (485).
• West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Odisha are common source areas for trafficking to red-light areas across India, according to the India Country Assessment Report 2013 on anti-human trafficking, brought out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
• Sexual exploitation for prostitution (22 per cent) was the second major purpose of human trafficking in 2016 in India, after forced labour (45 per cent), the NCRB data based on the statement of rescued victims and the accused show

Human Trafficking – Legal Framework in India

• Article 23(1) of the Constitution of India prohibits trafficking in human beings and states that any contravention of this shall be a punishable offence in accordance with the law.
• Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act 1956 (amended in 1986) lays down the different aspects of trafficking which include prostitution and child trafficking as offences and punishment in this respect has also been prescribed in the Act.
• Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code mentions that whoever, for the purpose of exploitation recruits, transports, harbours, transfers or receives a person or persons by using force or threat is considered to have committed the offence of trafficking. Whoever commits the offence of trafficking shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years, but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
• It is, however, pertinent to mention here that these provisions have not been of much help because trafficking occurs with the connivance of vulnerable victims and thus is not reported. In this respect, the non-governmental organisations have been the only ones who have been alert to attempts of trafficking and have at various instances with the help of law enforcement agencies prevented trafficking and attempts thereof.

Challenges

• The menace of trafficking has over the years become an organised criminal syndicate at par with the drug syndicate. It has set its roots deep in the society with the help of money and corrupt politicians.
• The lack of concrete definitions in the Indian legal framework doesn’t help the cause either as various traffickers go scot-free on the basis of technical loopholes in the legal systems.
• The laws, even without concrete definitions, should have been adequate but the implementation of these laws in India has left a lot to be desired.
• The lack of supervision on social media platforms has opened up a brand new platform for the traffickers to carry on their trade.
• The data on the trafficking problem is inadequate, thus the patterns and working mechanism of the traffickers are not as clear as it should be.
• Even when the victims are retrieved from the traffickers their rehabilitation is not done in a way that they don’t fall prey to trafficking again.

Conclusion

The menace of human trafficking is huge, and there is a need to not just prevent such crimes but also ensure that the relief and rehabilitation process takes place in a smooth manner. Policies further need to be improvised and appropriate actions should be taken by various agencies and stakeholders. The right to be protected against human trafficking is a constitutional right. This right needs to be protected to provide a dignified life to every child, every man and every woman in the country.

Source: The Hindu

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