Shocking stories of women and children sold off and trafficked for forced labor, sex slavery and prostitution have been on the rise over the past years.
India recorded a 28% rise in human trafficking in 2021 compared to 2020, when it registered 1,714 cases.
According to India's latest National Crime Records Bureau report, 2,189 cases of human trafficking were reported across the country in 2021, involving 6,533 victims.
Out of these victims, 2,877 were children and 3,656 adults, while around 6,213 were rescued from the clutches of traffickers.
As India marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on January 11, Sputnik spoke to Pallabi Ghosh, an anti-trafficking activist and founder of the Impact and Dialogue Foundation, who suggested ten measures that may help reduce human trafficking.
Top Ten to Combat Human Trafficking
1. Spread awareness about all kinds of trafficking (organs, limbs, labor, sex, bridal, child) to different educational institutions, law enforcement agencies and the wider population.
2. Create anti-trafficking clubs in schools and colleges, as children are more vulnerable to trafficking.
3. Organize talks, groups, consortiums and conversations on human trafficking.
4. Create Village Vigilante Committees (VVCs) to keep a track of individuals who go out of the villages to work.
5 Build a centralized network between NGOs, civil society and law enforcement, at the source, transit, and destination that would help in tracking traffickers.
6. Whenever you purchase anything, be it clothes, cosmetics, jewelry or food, check the background and find out if child labor has been used.
7. Talk to people who are in charge of bus stations, airports, railway stations, and ferry terminals, as those are the transit points through which people are trafficked.
8. Train on-the-ground staff like porters and security staff about anti-trafficking checks and measures, as they are the first responders when it comes to human trafficking.
9. Volunteer with NGOs who work to prevent trafficking.
10. Report if you see any incident which looks suspicious.