‘Traffickers using computer, English-speaking courses as traps’

LUCKNOW : Girls from Uttar Pradesh districts bordering Nepal were being trafficked using the trap of English-speaking and computer courses, said a member of an NGO at a seminar organised by the state women commission in Lucknow on Wednesday.

During the event, members of a Gorakhpur-based civil society, ‘Manav Seva Sansthan’, informed the stakeholders about the changing trends in human trafficking and how they were making women more vulnerable to the crime.

“Human trafficking is a big issue in the districts bordering Nepal. Women and girls are being trafficked in the name of Englishspeaking and computer courses,” said Rajesh Mani, director of the society. He urged the stakeholders to chalk out a plan and “launch a tirade against the menace of trafficking”.

Speaking about the effectiveness of the anti-human trafficking units of the UP police, Mani said, “These units are active in 35 districts, but are inadequately equipped to deal with the issue.” A senior cop said that officials should be made aware of the menace and its changing trends. ‘We must help children’ Speaking on the occasion, women and child development minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that women and children were most vulnerable for trafficking.

“If we see any child working as a domestic help or employed in some establishment, we should inform the law enforcement agency. Children cannot take care of themselves, so, we have to help them out,” she said.

Minister of state for child development, Anupama Jaiswal, said that every district had to deal with the issue head on.

“This should be taken up on a priority basis by every district,” she said.

Presiding over the function, chairperson of the UP women commission, Bimla Batham, said that all the stakeholders had to come on board to tackle the problem.

Some members of the commission also raised the issue of people working in the Gulf nations.

“There are some fake consultancies and placement agencies that send people to the Gulf countries. This is also trafficking,” said a member, adding, “There should be strict norms in place to rein in such agencies,” said a member.

MINISTER OF STATE FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT, ANUPAMA JAISWAL, SAID THAT EVERY DISTRICT HAD TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE HEAD ON, THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN UP ON A PRIORITY BASIS BY EVERY DISTRICT.