Day-long workshop on ‘Prevention of Human Trafficking’

Mysore/Mysuru: Maintaining that human trafficking in not only a national problem but a global menace and as well as a societal evil, Mysuru Principal District and Sessions Court Judge Prabhavathi M. Hiremath observed that the problem needs to be tackled with collective, co-ordinated  and continued efforts between all those involved in fighting this menace.

She was speaking after inaugurating a one-day workshop on ‘Prevention of Human Trafficking’  organised jointly by Zilla Panchayat (ZP), Women and Child Development Department and District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) at the ZP Hall here this morning.

Pointing out that 664 cases pertaining to human trafficking have been registered in Manava Kalyana Samithi in the last one- and-a-half-year, out of which 584 cases in the last one year alone, Judge Prabhavathi said it is matter of concern that such a high number of cases have been registered in the District.

“The 584 cases registered in the last one year, included 420 women and 164 men missing cases and  were concerned with child marriage, man/woman missing, sexual assault, beggary, bonded labour  etc. These figures are staggering considering that measures have been taken for prevention of human trafficking,” she noted

Continuing, she said the Samithi has thus far rescued 411 children and handed them back to their parents; 130 other children are sheltered in Care Centres, while 12 children have been adopted.

Stressing on the need for more effective measures to curb human trafficking, she raised concern that failure to prevent trafficking will result in the trafficked engaging in immoral activities such as prostitution or fall into the trap of bonded labour.

She further said that there are 9 Laws pertaining to prevention of human trafficking, 17 Government Schemes for rehabilitation and welfare of the rescued and 10 Departments, including the Police at work for ending the menace of human trafficking.

She called upon the PDOs and others attending the workshop to consider the matter seriously and make more efforts for ending the menace of human trafficking which is bothering the society for long.

Women and Child Development Department Deputy Director B. Basavaraj, Senior Civil Judge B.G. Dinesh, who is also the Member-Secretary of DLSA, ZP CEO K.M. Gayathri, Additional SP B.N. Nandini, Special Task Force for Prevention of Human Trafficking Member William Christopher, Advocate Ruth Anila, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. P.C. Kumaraswamy and others were present at the workshop.