Bihar flood this year has been devastating in which millions are rendered homeless. With floods came evacuation, temporary shelters followed by news of child trafficking. It is rightly said that for masses, natural calamities are like curses; but for some, they come like boon. This is what is happening in the flood-affected districts are being trafficked for petty sum of money.
According to reports, mothers are selling their children en masse to traffickers in the flood-hit districts of Supaul, Araria, Saharsa and Purnea. If we believe Ram Dev Prasad, who is heading Bihar’s Child Labour Commission, children in these districts are being sold for Rs 200 per child! Such is the human rate in the time of distress.
There are nearly 3 lakh people, including 2 lakh women and children are living in 3,000 relief camps being run by the state government and NGOs. While male folks have migrated in search of jobs, women and children are left at the mercy of volunteers and officials, and these vulnerable lots have become an easy prey for traffickers who are buying the children with the promise of a better life in big cities.
As per the reports, last week, 1,500 children, who were smuggled out of these relief camps by human traffickers, were caught at Patna, Hajipur and Khagaria railway stations. The situation was so pathetic to tell: among the intercepted, there were older children, who were taken back to the relief camps, while some kids were too young to recall the names of their parents or the village to which they belonged. So, Ram Dev Prasad ordered to take the young kids to shelter homes called Apna Ghars.
Since Lalu Prasad Yadav made rail travel free for the flood affected, it is being misused by human traffickers on a large scale. Moreover, since the police and authorities are busy with relief operations, traffickers have a free ride in smuggling a large numbers of children on a daily basis.
According to reports, on an average, a minimum of 50 children are being taken from these relief camps daily even thought over 200 volunteers working with the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) are keeping an eye on all railway stations and bus stands to check child trafficking.
In order to create a joint strategy to help curb the menace of human trafficking, Ram Dev Prasad, along with the Bihar Labour Minister, has come to Delhi to meet Union Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes.
Shamsur Rabb Khan
The author of this article is currently working as Editor with Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), Jaipur. To contact on this story: samsur.khan@gmail.com
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