Trafficking for flesh trade becoming 'lucrative' business: NGO

Trafficking for flesh trade becoming 'lucrative' business: NGO

Mumbai, Aug 20: Human trafficking for flesh trade is one of the ''most profitable'' business mushrooming these days, next to the trade in arms and narcotics, a city-based NGO has found in a study. Save The Children India (STCI) programme coordinator Vaishali Canisius here said, ''89 per cent of the total trafficked girls in the world are sold in India for flesh trade, a quarter of the trafficked victims in India are children below 16 years, and the average age of the trafficked victims from Nepal to India is 10-14 years old.'' ''The problems of sex tourism and trafficking of children have to be perceived as a gross human rights violation,'' Canisius said. Citing instances, she brought the case of Meena (name changed) who was inducted into flesh trade at the age of 10. She said at times these girls leave their home to be independent, earn a living and have a good life, but it is only later that they realise what they got into. She also cited the case of another victim, who is now suffering from HIV and multiple sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) after being trafficked and forced to indulge into flesh trade. As per the US State Department, the trafficking in persons' report of June 2006, places India on Tier-II watch list for a third consecutive year for its inability to show evidence of increased efforts to address trafficking of people, particularly its lack of progress in forming a national law enforcement response for inter-state and transnational trafficking crimes. Canisius also pointed out that at times, these cases do raise consciousness among people, but more needs to be done. She cited the case of a young girl trafficked to Mumbai from Kathmandu, to indulge in flesh trade. However, the victim later fell prey to STDs and finally died of them. ''The positive fallout of her case was that certain amount of consciousness was generated in Nepal against trafficking of girls. In response, the governments of India and Nepal signed a treaty in 1985 for the rescue and repatriation of Nepali girls from Indian brothels,'' she mentioned. She said, even after several steps were taken to save and rescue these young victims, the plight of rescued child prostitutes is no better than what it was before. Just getting them away from the brothels is not enough, but what is more important is to look into their health, rehabilitation and other aspects to provide them a normal life, which unfortunately is yet to be done in a proper way, she said. Bureau Report