Media can play a Role in curbing Human Trafficking

In the crusade against trafficking and violence against women and children, the media and press has a pivotal role to play in sensitising people on issues causing vulnerabilities and creating platforms for suppressed voices to be heard and showcasing antidotes and suggesting solutions for challenges

DARJEELING, June 13: A three day workshop on ‘Consultation on Gender Sensitive Rights Based Media Reporting: Building Positive Partnership,’ was organised from 12 to 14 June here, at Central Hotel by Diocese of Eastern Himalaya Church of India in parternership with United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM and Media Persons against Gender Violence, Human Trafficking and HIV/AIDS.
The problem of human trafficking and child exploitation has increased in leaps and bounds and is being overlooked as a social taboo, covering the districts of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, Kokrajar in Assam and the state of Sikkim.

The organisation in coalition with the members of the media and electronic print has joined in the combined efforts of tackling newer emerging vulnerabilities leading to trafficking in women and children in eastern Himalayan regions through systematic study, collections of datas related to the problem.

The issue demands for a wider recognition of the need to address root cause and explore possibilities to strengthen the social structure to reduce the exploitation of women and children. The issue, however, has failed to stir public conciousness in the Himalayan belts and no concrete measures have been formulated to create transparency relating to the problems of human trafficking.

In the crusade against trafficking and violence against women and children, the media and press has a pivotal role to play in sensitising people on issues causing vulnerabilities and creating platforms for suppressed voices to be heard and showcasing antidotes and suggesting solutions for challenges.

The seminar was attended by media persons from electronic and print media from different parts of the country.

http://sikkimexpress.com/Headlines.htm#H5

Trafficker arrested

Trafficker arrested

The Telegraph Siliguri, June 15: Police today rescued seven minors — five girls and two boys — from the Bhola More area near New Jalpaiguri. The rescued persons, all residents of the Chulsa tea estate of Matialli at Malbazar in Jalpaiguri, have been sent to the safe custody of the Jalpaiguri central jail.

Seema Oraon (20), also a resident of Chulsa and now a domestic help in Delhi, has been arrested on the charge of luring the minors with lucrative job offers in Delhi, the police said, adding that she might have planed to sell them off in the capital.

Oraon will be produced in court tomorrow.

The Telegraph ,Siliguri

Vigilance officials for immigration offices: Ravi

Monday, June 12th, 2006

Thiruvananthapuram - Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi Monday said all Protector of Emigrants (PoE) offices would have a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) official to help check immigration fraud.
‘We have already asked the CVC to work on this in the wake of the increasing frauds taking place in various PoE offices,’ Ravi told reporters here.
Ravi said a computerisation process would soon be implemented at airports for proper screening of all Indians going abroad, especially to the Middle East.
‘I and the home minister are meeting shortly to discuss this and we are also working on bringing amendments to the 1983 Emigration Act. The proposed Act would lay emphasis on transparency, regulation and deterrent punishment.
‘It would also have interventions to prevent the exploitation of workers and to eliminate human trafficking and smuggling of people by unscrupulous middlemen,’ said Ravi.
He also said steps were being taken in consultation with Indian ambassadors in Gulf Cooperation Council states, Jordan and Yemen to see that every employee contract was vetted by the respective countries before being sent to the people going there.
The minister also pointed out that steps were being taken to set up a People of Indian Origin University in India.
He said discussions had reached a crucial juncture with regard to the issuing of the People of Indian Origin card and the Overseas Indian Citizen Card.