February
27th marked the day where Freedom Fighters world-wide raised
awareness of the movement ‘END IT: Shine a light on Slavery’.
“Let’s be the generation to stand up for the 27 million men, women and
children trapped in slavery around the world today. In brothels, in factories,
in mines, on street corners, in homes, in the shadows, hidden.” End it movement 2014
The
term ‘slavery’ to many people, means an established practice which has been left
in the past and is related to the capture and transportation of minorities in
order to work in sugar plantations.
However
this is not the reality, slavery still continues to exist and has manifested
itself in a variety of modern, less obvious forms. One of which is ‘human
trafficking’. There are many different forms of human trafficking, for example
forced labour (industrial, factory work etc.), bonded labour (forced labour in
order to repay a loan), domestic work (housekeepers, gardeners, cooks etc.)
,prostitution, child soldiers and forced begging. In many cases of human
trafficking, individuals are transported away from their hometowns which are
often rural and are forced to migrate to large cities.
According
to the International Labour organisation (ILO), in 2012 there were around 11.7
million people enslaved in the Asia-Pacific region. This accounted for 56% of
enslaved people worldwide.
Child trafficking in India
Reports
state that up to 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year worldwide.
This figure includes 200,000 children trafficked from India. Children
trafficked from India are often sold by their parents (sometimes for as little
as 1,000 rupees, €12), or kidnapped. I came across an article in The Guardian written
in 2012 based on a young boy named Azam who was just seven when he was sold to
traffickers by his mother. When describing his experience, he said he “hated
every minute of the day.” Working 9am to 10pm everyday became torture for the 7
year old, yet he didn’t dare escape. Azam was promised to be paid for his work
but as the months went by he wasn’t given any money.
In
India, the problem of child trafficking is not confined to international
boundaries as many children are being trafficked within India, as was the case
with Azam. Regions such as New Delhi have more than 5,000 domestic work
placement agencies operating in a neighbourhood called Shakurpur (Basti). The
‘Global Slavery Index’ shows that trafficking patterns indicate that 90% of
human trafficking in India is domestic, with only 10% taking place across
national borders.
Nevertheless,
the high rates of human trafficking in India have made it into a destination
country for trafficked women, men and children from Nepal and Bangladesh. It is
estimated that between 100,000- 200,000 Nepali people are trafficked into India
each year, and by not having immigration control under the 1950 ‘Peace and
Friendship act’ it makes it even easier for people to migrate between the
countries. The states of southern India have become the most favoured
destinations for human traffickers to bring their ‘victims’ and according to
the India Times’ these states are home to more than half the number of human
trafficking cases reported across India.
Reports show on average, each of the three south Indian states (Tamil Nadu,
Andra Pradesh, Karnataka) reports over 300 human trafficking cases every year.
Tamil Nadu leads with 2,244 cases reported during the 2009-2012 period,
followed by Andra Pradesh with 2,157 cases.
‘Modern
day slavery’ in India continues to abuse many human rights, most obviously,
article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 which states that “No
one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be
prohibited in all their forms.” Trafficking is a low priority in India and
judicial officials are insensitive to victim’s needs and mental state.
The
principles behind ‘END IT’ is that by drawing a “red X” on our hand, it will raise
awareness among our society and force people to ask questions who may otherwise
be oblivious to modern day slavery. It will encourage discussions across the
globe and allow millions of people to stand up for the voiceless women, men and
children who have been tormented by modern day slavery.
Slavery
is not just an issue in India but it affects life in every society and culture
including our own. Human trafficking continues to exist around the world and by
getting involved in the ‘END IT’ movement we are raising awareness for those
trapped in the dark.
Disclaimer: Blog posts do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Human Rights Defence.
No comments:
Post a Comment