According to the United Nations, Human trafficking is a global problem and one of the world’s most shameful crimes, affecting the lives of millions of people around the world and robbing them of their dignity. Traffickers deceive women, men and children from all corners of the globe and force them into exploitative situations every day. While the best-known form of human trafficking is for the purpose of sexual exploitation, hundreds of thousands of victims are trafficked for the purposes of forced labour, domestic servitude, child begging or the removal of their organs.
The exploitation of human beings can be highly lucrative for organized criminal groups.
Recent research on overall forced labour trends however would suggest that the scope of the problem is much bigger. Human traffickers regard people as commodities; items that can be exploited and traded for profit.
As per the National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson, human trafficking increased by 15.56 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir last year as compared to the 2021-22 financial year but it is ‘just the tip of an iceberg’.
Human trafficking is a serious crime and it does not have boundaries. This is prevalent everywhere. And sometimes, the victims of the trafficking do not even know that they are the victims.
The main problem is due to lack of awareness. The women were being trafficked under the pretext of being provided well-paying jobs. The exploiters give false promises of jobs here, or elsewhere in India, but they don’t get paid properly and are abused.
While trafficking in persons is the most heinous form of organized crime which requires holistic and coordinated action by all the stakeholders at all levels, Lieutenant Governor rightly emphasized that the law enforcement agencies, civil society groups, youth and every section of the society must unite to raise awareness about the issue, safeguards people from exploitation, effectively combat the violent crime and dismantle the criminal network.
As has been stressed by him, anti-human trafficking cell in the districts require a comprehensive approach and partnership with civil society and youth to prevent trafficking and assist the law enforcement agencies to punish the traffickers. These efforts can save many innocent people from exploitation.
Also law enforcement agencies need to analyze various aspects including origin, transit and destination and prepare a priority action plan to strike at the root of the human trafficking network.
There is need for coordinated response to prevent vulnerable groups such as children, women, labourers, and displaced persons.
