AMRAT IN ACTION IN RAJASTHAN

AWARENESS PROGRAMME IN
RAJASTHAN

The  meeting began at 10 a.m.at St. Angela school staff room, Jaipur Rajasthan; with a prayer and a Bhajan by Sr. Aurora M.S.A. thereafter Sr. Carol welcomed all the 11 members from Ajmer, Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, and Chandigarh (Punjab).

We are privileged to have 3 resource person namely Mr. Govind Beniwal- Member Child rights commission Rajasthan, Mr. Vijay Goyal- Resource Institute for Human Rights Jaipur, Mr. Shiv from Allaripu;  each members came their introduction.

Mr. Govind said that it is not olnly the problem of India but the problem of the whole world. The whole family is affected. Women, men, and children fall prey to trafficking worldwide. They are viewed as valuable commodities in the sex trade or labor industry, vulnerable individuals are targeted by traffickers poised to exploit their desperation, misfortune, and ignorance. They may be lured by false promises of employment opportunities and a better life, abducted, or sold outright by families who themselves are in need of money or hope to provide a better life for their children.

Explaining further 'what is trafficking' he said Human trafficking is a horrific crime against the fundamental rights and dignity of the human person and there are several forms of  human trafficking such as:

o   The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for:

o   sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or

o   labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

o   Coercion includes threats of physical or psychological harm to children and/or their families. Any child (under the age of 18) engaged in commercial sex is a victim of trafficking.

Indian law had accepted this as problem/issue and this is always done by force if done by mutual consist than it is not come under trafficking. Owing to the lack of anti-human trafficking laws, enforcement of such laws where they exist, along with the ease and ability to re-exploit individuals, human trafficking has become one of the fastest growing sources of profits for criminal enterprises worldwide.

Traffickers lure vulnerable men, women and children with false promises of good jobs, an education, economic security and even love. Once lured, the traffickers are able to keep their victims from seeking help by confiscating identification documents, using threats of violence against the victim or their family, as well as subjecting the victim to physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse. No sector or industry is immune from human trafficking. Victims have been identified in factories, restaurants, construction work, agricultural fields, hotels, spas, nail salons, and even private residences.

How to Identify a Human Trafficking Victim? These are some red flags:

• Seems anxious, fearful or paranoid. Avoids eye contact.
• Tearfulness or signs of depression.
• Unexplained bruises or cuts or other signs of physical abuse.
• Appears to be in a relationship with someone who is dominating.
• Never is alone and/or always has someone translating or answering questions on their behalf.
• Not in control of their own finances.
• Presents with secrecy or unable to answer questions about where they live.
• Inconsistent details when telling their story.
• Has no identification such as a license, passport or other ID documents.
• Inability to leave their job or residence. Says they cannot schedule appointments.
• Being a recent arrival to the United States and does not speak English.
• Is under 18 and providing commercial sex acts. Or at any age unwillingly providing commercial sex acts.
• Is afraid of law enforcement or receiving help from an outside entity.

If you can find an opportunity to get he/she alone, ask him/her the following screening questions:

• Can you leave your job or house when you want?
• Where did you get those bruises or is anyone hurting you?
• Do you get paid for your employment? Is it fair? How many hours do you work?
• (If foreign national) How did you get to the present destination and is it what you expected? Are you being forced to do anything you don't want to do?
• Are you or your family being threatened?
• Do you live with or near your employer? Does your employer provide you housing? Are there locks on doors or windows from outside?

Mr. Vijay & Shiv shared with us the various rescue operations held in Rajasthan especially, Jaipur, Kota, and Ajmer and how challenging it is. We need to network with BGOs and Law Enforcement officers who are involved in these rescue operations; need to visit the places children works railway stations, factories, bus stands, hotels, Dhabha etc. Build up rapport with the children and win over their confidence and then only they will share with us.

After the tea break we went into groups district - wise and discussed how and what we can do as way forward. The Resource persons explained to us the following:

Way forward: Prevention is very important and how we can focus on certain ideas

v    Maping to identify the destination/ source areas

v    Organize awareness building programs and social protection programs

v    Pressure building on govt.

v    Prevent Child marriages, Child labour.

v    Security of a child and woman.

v    Shelter Homes, Shishu Homes

v    In our country, there are places where these children are kept like shelter home etc.

v    Child welfare committee.

v    Human rights Education in Schools and in communities/ colonies

v    Childline – 1098

v    Access to entitlement

v    formation of village child protection committees at P.S. level; inorder to check the trafficking source & destination, child  & family migrants

v    Crisis management centers for Counseling & Legal Aid services

v    Identify the child labourers and inform the child Welfare committee of the place.

v    Get involved in rescue operation.

The following are the district-wise Action Plan:

Ajmer :    Sr.Carol  MSA , Sr.Lillian PSA, Sr.Cecil PSA,

v    Base line survey and data collecting.

v    Crisis management center.

v    Get involved with Alaripu NGO

Kota     Sr. Aurera M.S.A., Sr. Sudha P.S.A., Sr. Terisita

§  Visit the children in the Railway Platforms, Dhaba, renbasera, mess centre build up confidence with them, gather informations about them and continue the contact with these children

§  Visit on Monday and thirsday from 7 to 10 am .

§  Maintain Record and other informations gathered.

§  Continue with child line information

§  Crisis management for mentally tortured children.

§  Awareness programs about human trafficking.

Udaipur           Sr. Mala, Sr. Kirti 

Jaipur              Sr.Helen MSA, Sr.Tejohono SMA, Sr.Jerin SMA

v    empower our own children.

v    give awareness program through children.

v    establish child guidance center.

Panjab & Chandigarh      Sr.Joyal PSA, Sr.Josain PSA, Sr.Sunila PSA

Through family visiting, we will do a survey of the bounded labours especially about those people who have come from outside like Orissa, Bihar, Nepal etc.

We will have continues meeting with the labours and children for having a good relationship.

In the school level, we will keep an awareness programs for the children regarding child abuse.

We have fixed the next meeting to be held in the 1^st week of February. Sr. Lillian P.S.A. gave a vote of thanks and thanked our resource persons for giving us this golden opportunity to learn, and understand about human trafficking.  We also plan to organize a training program for those who wish to get involved in this program; date is not fixed.

Sr.Aurora  MSA