Bhubaneswar: Odisha reported the highest number of human trafficking cases in 2021, according to the latest NCRB report on Human Trafficking.
According to the report, 1,475 victims were trafficked from Odisha, out of which 735 were women and 497 were below 18 years of age.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Emerging Trends in Human Trafficking’, Chairperson, Odisha State Commission for Women, Minati Behera Friday said that elopement cases among young adolescents had shot up, especially post Covid.
The Commission, she said, is already sensitising communities by holding workshops in all districts, adding that college-level workshops will also be conducted to sensitise young adolescents about the vulnerabilities around human trafficking.
The Women’s Commission said the access to mobile phones has made children as young as 14 years vulnerable to such crimes.
Young adolescents get into relationships and later elope at a tender age without thinking of the consequences. After a few months of living together, they separated. These girls become easy targets for traffickers, who lure them to the business of sex trafficking, Behera said, citing the sheer number of such cases landing at the Commission.
ADGP CID Arun Bothra described human trafficking as a “complex” problem and highlighted the steps taken by the state government through integrated anti-human trafficking units in all districts and women and child desks at police stations to check the menace.
Bothra also called upon civil society to provide “actionable information” and help identify hotspots of human trafficking and bonded labour.
Aide et Action Director, Migration & Education Umi Daniel highlighted the role of police in preventive arrests of traffickers last year.
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Director of Childline in Odisha Benudhar Senapati said about 16 child trafficking cases have been registered in the last two months. The little relief that the victims get is when they see the perpetrators punished and hence the law enforcement must work towards ending impunity, Senapati said.
Two survivors of trafficking – Diyalu Niyal and Santoshini – shared their ordeal as victims and how the government helped to rescue them from exploitative bonded labour.
The event was organised by the Odisha Women in Media and attended by over 50 media professionals across the state. It was aimed at enhancing their knowledge and understanding on human trafficking and bonded labour in the state of Odisha and to encourage them for frequent reporting of the crime.
UNI