The main focus of EMPOWER PEOPLE lies on awareness raising and sensitization trainings for law enforcement agencies. The organization is also offering direct victim support and assistance to women vulnerable to human trafficking and domestic violence.GUWAHATI: Rani was only 19 and the world was her oyster. Her dream was to soar the heights of her chosen career that of an air hostess and travel the world. She had burnt the midnight oil and had completed her air hostess training course with flying colours. One of the toppers of her batch, she had managed to bag a job with a private airline and was posted in Goa. Beaches, sunsets and a lucrative job beckoned her; all that she wanted seemed to be coming true for her.
But Rani's dreams crumbled faster than a pack of cards. Before she knew what hit her, she found herself trapped in a human trafficking racket. She was worth all of Rs 25,000, she realized the amount she was sold for.
Now free again, Rani will never forget the seven weeks she spent in captivity. The days and nights seemed never to end. But just when she'd almost lost hope of escaping from the hell-hole, lady luck smiled on her. Rani got a chance to flee from the racketeers and was rescued by a local NGO in Goa, which later handed her over to GOLD, an NGO fighting against human trafficking in Assam.
But not all girls who are who are sold on the flesh or labour market are as fortunate as Rani. There are many who can never get back to their old lives.
The state has seen a steep rise in the rate of human trafficking in recent years. Now, with the election right upon us, this marginalized section of society, comprising those who managed to escape from the clutches of their owners', are making an earnest appeal to political parties to include the issue of human trafficking in their political agendas.
"I wish the government would implement a plan to save girls from being sold and also to rescue trafficked girls. We have heard the parties contesting the polls shout slogans of progress, but, ironically, no one has talked about the human trafficking issue," cried Rani.
Rani, who has been rehabilitated at Ujwala, a shelter home in Guwahati for trafficking victims, along with other residents of the home, sent a note to the leading political parties asking them to include trafficking as a major issue in the ensuing polls.
"We have submitted a memorandum to all the parties and asked them to listen to the cries of the victims, who need attention and social support. No state government has ever done anything to arrest the high rate of human trafficking here or provided any settlement to victims," said Kaberi Sarma, founder-member of GOLD.
A report entitled Action Research on Trafficking in Women and Children in India' drew a very grim picture of the magnitude of the problem in the northeast. "The situation in the northeastern part of the country demands special attention. Trafficking of women and children in this region cuts across the different states and extends beyond national boundaries, involving Bangladesh, Myanmar and other countries," the report said.
According to police sources, more than 2,000 women and children from Assam are trafficked to various parts of the country including Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana, Goa, Gujarat, etc and exploited sexually or otherwise. Significantly, more than 1,500 of them are women. CID sources of the Assam police said, "Between 1996-2000, the state recorded 3,718 missing female adults. Of these, 1,837 are still untraceable. In the same period, 4,259 girls went missing of which only 1,918 were traced." CID released the information during a training session of the anti-human trafficking wing of the state police organised by Union ministry of home affairs, Bureau of Police Research and Development, New Delhi, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2009.
However, the plea of the victims is yet to reach political parties. Though the parties are trying to lure voters with promises put forth in campaigns and in attractive manifestoes, they have ignored this section of society.
Leading regional party AGP, for instance, spoke of equal rights for women and other empowerment schemes, but did not mention human trafficking specifically. "We will give women-related issues a priority and want to form a gender sensitive government' this time. We will not only try to make the women's bodies stronger, but will also take stern action against foetus killing in the state," said AGP's poll manifesto, released by its president, Chandra Mohan Patowary.
The saffron party, too, has only mentioned one sentence in its manifesto about the problem. "Our government will take stern action against human traffickers of the state," said the BJP manifesto.
However, the ruling Congress, which is yet to release its election manifesto, said it gives prominence to women-related issues. "Though it is difficult to say anything specific on human trafficking as we have not released the manifesto, we will stress on women rights and equality issues," said Haren Das, general secretary of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC).
Posted in: Report from field
